Tennis fan storms on court and confronts Jannik Sinner in scary scenes
Jannik Sinner was approached by a fan after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Six Kings Slam on Wednesday, with security eventually stepping in to remove the person from the court
A spectator was removed from the court by security personnel after approaching Jannik Sinner at the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh.
Following a commanding 6-2, 6-3 triumph over Stefanos Tsitsipas in his opening encounter on Wednesday, Wimbledon champion Sinner was approached by a young tennis fan who appeared to be requesting his jacket after the match. The two had a brief conversation before security intervened, escorting the youngster away.
While Sinner gathered his equipment in the background, commentators Prakash Amritraj, Feliciano Lopez, and Laura Robson discussed his performance. The supporter walked up to Sinner, shook hands with him, and repeatedly pointed toward his jacket.
Their conversation wasn't picked up by the microphones, but the four-time Grand Slam champion looked confused as the boy touched Sinner's jacket before gesturing to himself.
A security officer quickly moved in, taking hold of the boy and leading him away from Sinner so the world No. 2 could leave the court.
Sinner was returning to action after withdrawing from the recent Shanghai Masters due to the punishing hot and humid weather conditions.
The 24-year-old, who was attempting to defend his Shanghai title, was one of multiple players who battled the extreme climate.
The 2024 titleholder could hardly remain upright when he was forced to retire due to severe cramping during the third set of his third-round encounter against Tallon Griekspoor.
Upon his arrival in Riyadh to defend his Six Kings Slam crown, Sinner explained: "The cramps in Shanghai? I think they were due to a mental factor. I talked with my team - from that point of view, I wasn't perfect, but now everything's fine.
"The mistake was mine, the heat and humidity got me down. You learn from these things - cramps can happen, and I was one of many to suffer from them."
Nevertheless, Sinner swiftly recovered at the Six Kings Slam, cruising past Tsitsipas to earn his place in the semi-finals, where he'll face off against Novak Djokovic.
"Of course, we know each other now a little bit better, played already many times. With time, we become better players and know each other's game a little bit more so I knew a little bit tactically how to prepare for the match," the world No. 2 later revealed.
"But generally I just tried to stay quite aggressive, especially on the return games.
"I felt like I was serving very well in the important moments.
"This is a very interesting situation we have to deal with here on the court because it's quite bouncy."