Jannik Sinner consoles shattered opponent Hugo Gaston after abrupt injury retirement
Updated . First published at
Jannik Sinner began his Australian Open title defence in clinical fashion on Tuesday night, moving through to the second round in just 68 minutes after securing a 6-2, 6-1 (ret.) victory over Hugo Gaston on Rod Laver Arena.
The contest reached an abrupt end following the second set as an emotional Gaston approached the net to retire.
The tough Frenchman was seen with his head in his hands, visibly devastated, though the exact nature of the injury remains unclear.
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Hugo Gaston is consoled by Jannik Sinner. Getty
Despite the sudden retirement, Sinner noted that Gaston had been physically struggling during the match.
"He was not serving with a very high pace, especially in the second set," he said during his on-court interview after the match.
"But, you know, it's not the way you want to win the match.
"He's such a talented player, you know, he has incredible touch, moving very, very well, so I knew starting from the beginning that I had to play a very high level of tennis, trying to be as aggressive as possible, which I've done, so I'm very happy."
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The match began with a shaky start for the Italian, who stared down three break points at 0-40 in his opening service game, only to turn to his biggest weapon.
A flurry of aces later, the hold was secured, and order was restored on Rod Laver Arena.
The world No.2 soon took control, securing the first break of the match after wearing Gaston down through three deuces.
While Gaston showed great resilience, Sinner's heavyweight baseline game proved too much to handle.
On the penultimate point of the set, the Frenchman hit the ground and rolled while lunging for a volley, with Sinner immediately crossing the court to check on him.
Aside from losing a bit of skin, Gaston appeared to be uninjured at the time.
Sinner soon clinched a double break to take the opener 6-2 in just 37 minutes.
The doctor and physio came out to treat Gaston at the break, where he received medication, but he took the court for the second set.
Sinner broke immediately for a 2-0 lead, punctuating the game with a clinical smash.
Mirroring his dominance in the opener, Sinner raced through the set to lead 6-1.
Jannik Sinner in action during his first-round victory over Frenchman Hugo Gaston at the 2026 Australian Open. Daniel Kopatsch via Getty Images
"As well as Hugo Gaston played, Jannik Sinner just has another gear when it matters most," Todd Woodbridge said in commentary for Nine.
The shortened match provides a significant physical advantage for the defending champion, who moves into the second round with fresh legs.
Sinner will next play Australian wildcard James Duckworth after he survived a five-set epic against Croatia's Dino Prizmic to advance to the second round.
