Sinner Speeds Past Machac in Dominant Doha Return

By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, February 16, 2026
Photo credit: Antoine Couvercelle/ROLEX

During his time off from tennis, Jannik Sinner has spent time watching the Winter Olympics.

In his first match since falling in the Australian Open, Sinner made the Doha court resemble a massive mountain for Tomas Machac.

Former junior ski standout Sinner sped past Machac 6-1, 6-4 in a dominant Doha display today.

The four-time Grand Slam champion rode a stinging serve and some slick open-stance sliding backhand strikes to a 70-minute win.  It was Sinner’s first match since bowing to 38-year-old Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the Australian Open semifinals on January 30th.

Sinner served 69 percent, won 25 of 29 first-serve points and slammed 7 aces against Machac today. 

“I felt good on court today,” Sinner said. “Physically,  I feel good and now of course every match is gonna get tougher and tougher so hopefully I’m gonna be ready.”

An energized Sinner broke in Machac’s opening service game and tore through 12 of his first 14 points on serve speeding out to a 3-0 lead. 

Sinner slammed a forehand winner down the line closing the 26-minute first set with a bang.

The Wimbledon winner served 74 percent, won 16 of 19 points played on his serve and dominated the baseline exchanges from start to finish in the set.

Bidding to become the first Italian champion in Doha history, Sinner opened this match with a bang. 

An energized Sinner broke in Machac’s opening service game and tore through 12 of his first 14 points on serve speeding out to a 3-0 lead. 

Sinner slammed a forehand winner down the line closing the 26-minute first set with a bang.

The Wimbledon winner served 74 percent, won 16 of 19 points played on his serve and dominated the baseline exchanges from start to finish in the set.

Hitting his backhand down the line with ambition at times, Machac won eight of his first nine service points to go up 2-1 in the second set.

However, Sinner gave the Czech virtually no looks on his serve. Sinner slammed successive aces holding at love for 2-all.

A suffocating Sinner did not back off the baseline much and drew four unforced errors in a row breaking for 3-2. Sinner stamped a second straight love hold for 4-2.

Credit Olympic mixed doubles gold-medal champion Machac for fighting off three match points in a hard-fought hold for 4-5.

On this day, Sinner set the gold standard. 

On his fifth match point, Sinner slid his seventh ace down the T closing in 70 minutes.

The second-seeded Sinner will face Aussie Alexei Popyrin in round two. Popyrin permitted just two games sweeping wild card Mubarak Shannan Zayid in his opener.

The 53rd-ranked Popyrin and Sinner have split two prior meetings with the Italian imposing a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 triumph in the 2025 US Open second round.