Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen felt that Jannik Sinner “must not win” the ongoing Australian Open 2026, in a claim that has nothing to do with tennis. Pietersen’s remark came just before Sinner took the court against Serbian legend Novak Djokovic in the men’s singles semifinal at the Rod Laver Arena on Friday.
In a light-hearted remark, the former England captain focused solely on Sinner’s outfit at the Australian Open in a post on X, that went viral. “I’m sorry, but Sinner cannot win this year’s Aus Open,” said Pietersen.
Calling Sinner “worst dressed”, Pietersen called the color of the Italian “horrific”. “Worst dressed must NOT win this tournament! Mustard is a truly horrible colour!” Pietersen added further in his post.
The 24-year-old Italian has gained stardom in recent times through his performances. Such has been his consistency, the two-time Australian Open champion (2024, 2025) is in spotlight recently, earning commentary from other sporting greats as well.
Novak Djokovic vows to upset Jannik Sinner
Ahead of their semifinal, Djokovic called Sinner “absolute favorite” in their last-four clash. The winner of Djokovic vs Sinner will meet Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Alcaraz had defeated Alexander Zverev.
“He’s just playing on such a high level right now, along with Carlos. They’re the two best players in the world,” said the 24-time Grand Slam champion. “I mean, absolute favourite, but you never know.”
“Hopefully I can deliver my A-game for that match-up because that’s what’s going to be needed at least to have a chance. I wasn’t playing close to my best (against Musetti), so I’m going to have to change that around,” added Djokovic, who won 10 Australian Open titles.
Notably, Djokovic was beaten by Sinner in last year’s French Open and Wimbledon semifinals. The last time Djokovic won a Grand Slam title was in 2023 US Open. Since then he has been trying to get his 25th Major.
