Jannik Sinner has revealed that he had his tonsils removed during his knee layoff and lost a lot of weight as a result. The operation had never been made public. He disclosed it in "Health & Recovery", the third episode of his "Jannik Sinner Unfiltered" YouTube series, as reported by Tennis Majors.
"I had the tonsils removed some weeks ago and I lost a lot of weight," Sinner says in the video. "Maybe you can see it in the face, it's quite dry." He presents the procedure as part of an effort to return stronger, adding that he hopes it was the right decision.
The timing is hard to pin down. The six-minute episode mixes scenes filmed at different times, and "some weeks ago" is the only marker he gives. The same goes for a trip to Lyon for knee checks, which the video shows without a date or any findings.
Sinner has not played since beating Alexander Zverev at Wimbledon on July 12. His team said on October 6 that his season was over so he could be treated for inflammation in his right knee, which ruled him out of the ATP Finals in Turin. He describes a knee that gave no warning. "I had days where I felt nothing and I could play without any problems, and then I had days where I couldn't move at all," he said. His team has never formally named the injury.
The Six Kings Slam exhibition in Riyadh, December 27 to 30, is the event he is aiming for, though it has not been officially confirmed. His fitness coach, Umberto Ferrara, said the team has never worked towards an immediate goal, and that the aim is for Sinner to return at the peak of his physical capabilities.
Darren Cahill, who leaves the team at the end of the season, stressed the mental side of the layoff. "You've got to give yourself some mental breaks as well," he said, adding that time away from the sport is important for a 25-year-old, provided it does not set back the knee.
For Sinner, the practical question is whether the weight loss and surgery leave him strong enough for the Australian swing, which he says he already misses. The video does not answer that yet.
