"Jesus Christ, are you made of biscuits?" - Fans amused as Jannik Sinner's hip injury continues to haunt him during Cincinnati Open SF win vs Zverev

Several fans were amused after noticing signs of Jannik Sinner's lingering hip injury during his 2024 Cincinnati Open semifinal clash with Alexander Zverev. Despite these struggles, Sinner triumphed over Zverev, securing a spot in the final of the Masters 1000 event.

Sinner won the closely contested first set 7-6(9) but Zverev fought back in the second, winning it 7-5 to force a decisive third which itself went into a tiebreaker. Sinner ultimately overcame Zverev 7-6(4) to win their semifinal clash.

However, his grueling encounter with Zverev didn’t seem to be the only challenge for the 23-year-old as he apparently struggled with hip pain and limped during the match. Sinner also performed several exercises to alleviate the pain, particularly before the rain delay interrupted the first set's tiebreaker.

A hip injury was what had caused Jannik Sinner to retire mid-tournament from the Madrid Open and then withdraw from the Italian Open earlier this year.

Sinner's struggles with his hip garnered many reactions from tennis fans on X. Replying to The Tennis Letter's post, one said:

"Jesus Christ Are you made of biscuits?????"

"He's made of glass, no other explanation," another said.

"Oh geez, I’ve noticed he does this a lot when he’s losing," a third fan said.

Yet another fan suggested that Sinner's continuous participation could lead to a chronic injury, potentially jeopardizing his future performance.

"I hope he's not risking making it a chronic injury by playing. He should think long-term," they said.

Here are a few more reactions from the fans:

"But that's every tournament," a fan said.

"The end of his short career looming on the horizon if this becomes a chronic injury," another said.

Sinner also faced difficulties with his right hip during his Canadian Open quarterfinal against Andrey Rublev, which ended in his defeat.

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Jannik Sinner after his Cincinnati Open SF win - "I have to be, for sure, more in shape"

Jannik Sinner - Source: Getty

In his post-match interview on the court, Jannik Sinner emphasized the significance of his Cincinnati Open semifinal win over Alexander Zverev while sharing his happiness with the result. However, the Italian highlighted the need for him to improve his physical fitness in order to compete at an even higher level.

“It means a lot to me. It's a very different moment, what I'm going through, so I'm very happy about this result. The physical aspect, of course, I have to improve, because if I want to win Grand Slams or a bigger title, I have to be, for sure, more in shape. But I just tried to stay there mentally, which I'm very proud [of], and let's see what's coming tomorrow,” Jannik Sinner said.

Sinner will face Frances Tiafoe in the final of the Masters 1000 event, against whom he holds a 3-1 head-to-head advantage. Tiafoe advanced by defeating 15th seed Holger Rune 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4), becoming the first American to reach the Cincinnati Open final since John Isner in 2013.

The 23-year-old Sinner has excelled on hard courts this season, having won at the Australian Open, the Miami Open and the ABN Amro Open. He will look to win his fifth title of the season in Cincinnati.