“Being prepared”: Venus Williams makes surprising Jannik Sinner claim while Andre Agassi points to a deeper problem

Venus Williams has come out strongly in support of Jannik Sinner after fresh questions were raised about the Italian star’s ability to handle long and physically demanding matches. Following Sinner’s painful French Open defeat, some critics once again pointed to a statistic that shows he has never won a match lasting longer than three hours and 50 minutes.

However, Williams believes that number does not tell the full story.Speaking on TNT’s French Open coverage, the seven-time Grand Slam champion praised Sinner’s fight and attitude during difficult moments on court. While concerns about the World No. 1’s struggles in extreme heat continue to grow, Williams said his willingness to keep battling should not be ignored. Her comments came as another tennis legend, Andre Agassi, offered a much tougher view and questioned Sinner’s preparation for difficult conditions.

Venus Williams backs Jannik Sinner while Andre Agassi questions his preparation

Venus Williams dismissed the idea that Sinner’s long-match record proves he lacks endurance. “In my opinion, it’s more of a fluke than a real stat. Not only insane conditions, but he dealt with it with his head up. He never quit. He never walked off the court. He never considered stopping, even though it was the worst circumstances,” Williams said on the TNT desk.

Her comments came after Sinner’s French Open loss to Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, a match where the Italian appeared in control before the heat changed everything.

As temperatures rose, Sinner’s movement and power dropped sharply. He then lost 16 of the next 18 games and saw victory slip away.Still, Williams believes one difficult result should not define him. There have been several examples of Sinner staying strong deep into matches. In last year’s French Open final against Carlos Alcaraz, he continued competing at a high level even after the contest passed the five-hour mark.

Earlier this year at the Australian Open, he also pushed through a four-hour and nine-minute battle against Novak Djokovic.Not everyone sees it the same way. Andre Agassi argued that preparation, not just weather, played a major role in Sinner’s collapse in Paris.“But to go from him playing five-and-a-half hours last year in the finals and then having the heat tap him out in an hour and 45, there’s a difference between being fit and being prepared,” Agassi said on TNT.“I have to point at a flaw in that kind of preparation because there’s something you can do about that.”Agassi explained that hydration, nutrition, and planning for hot conditions are critical. He said players must prepare their bodies well before stepping onto the court. With Sinner sitting at World No. 1, Agassi suggested he has every resource needed to address a problem that has now appeared more than once.