Jannik Sinner advanced to the Indian Wells fourth round on Sunday after a commanding victory over Denis Shapovalov.
Sinner rarely looked troubled against his Canadian opponent, winning 85 per cent of first-serve points on his way to a 6-3, 6-2 win.
The Italian will hope to continue his strong form against Joao Fonseca, whom he will play in the Indian Wells round of 16.
Following the contest, Sinner was asked to comment on the current shot clock rule, which currently affords players a flat rate of 25 seconds between each point.
The rule was subject to scrutiny recently by Carlos Alcaraz, who became embroiled in an argument with a chair umpire in Qatar.
Jannik Sinner weighs in on the shot clock rule
Last month, Carlos Alcaraz took issue with the shot clock rule, labelling the rule as ‘s—‘ while embroiled in an argument with the chair umpire.
Earlier this week, Alcaraz stated he did not want to ‘waste his time’ on the matter as no one from the sport’s governing bodies had approached him to discuss the issue.
What would have happened if Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played at the same time as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal?
The rule requires players to begin their service motion within 25 seconds of finishing the previous point.
In 2024, the rule was altered slightly: the shot clock now starts automatically, three seconds after the previous point, rather than when the umpire calls the score.
After beating Shapovalov on Sunday, Jannik Sinner weighed in on the issue.
“Yeah, I mean, especially after long rallies or depending on where you finished the point, you need at times just rush a little bit,” said the Italian.
“But it’s the rule, you know. For everyone it’s the same.
“At the moment, there are situations where, you know, you get over the shot clock for a couple of seconds, which at times is normal, but yeah, I think I try to stay in the 25 seconds.
“You know, I do have my rhythm or my routine before serving, but sometimes I don’t do it because I would go over, you know. Yeah, it is what it is.”
Jannik Sinner will need to be wary of Joao Fonseca
After a difficult start to the 2026 season, Joao Fonseca appears to have found his footing.
The Brazilian youngster struggled for form in Australia, Argentina and Brazil, but has found a spark in California.
Jannik Sinner will need to be cautious heading into the clash with Fonseca – a player whom Roger Federer is a big fan of.
“What separates him is his power with the forehand, backhand and serve,” Federer said in January, as per Australian outlet Nine. “He’s exciting, has good aura, he’s a very likeable character and I like watching him play.
He later added: “He [Fonseca] needs a little bit more time to work out his game … when to dial back, when to unload his shot but once he figures that out, the sky’s the limit.”
