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Adrian Mannarino had his pre-match routine messed up by a fan in Indian Wells and that apparently left the Frenchman "infuriated." Mannarino, 34, has one of the most interesting strategies on the ATP Tour as he prefers to learn the name of his opponent just 10 minutes before the match.
On Monday, Mannarino was scheduled to play Jannik Sinner in the Indian Wells third round. According to former French tennis player Arnaud Clement, one fan wished Mannarino luck in his matches against Sinner. The fan ruined Mannarino's routine and that didn't sit well with the Frenchman.
Fun fact by Arnaud Clément on Eurosport just now
Adrian Mannarino never wants to know his opponent until 10 minutes before taking to the court, and while signing autographs earlier today, a fan told him, 'Good luck later against Sinner!', which allegedly infuriated Mannarino lol — Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) March 13, 2023
Mannarino lost to Sinner
Mannarino, ranked at No 68 in the world, competed well against 13th-ranked Sinner but couldn't upset the Italian.
In the end, Sinner clinched a straight-set 7-6 (7) 6-4 win over Mannarino. It was the third meeting between the two and Sinner's third win against Mannarino. After the match, Sinner spoke highly of Mannarino and described him as a tricky player.
"I think I can still be very proud of myself because I had a lot of patience today, which I had to. He's a very tricky player, he's an incredible player. He's lefty, he plays a ball which most likely nobody plays. I'm happy, for sure, but I have to raise my level," Sinner said after beating Mannarino.
At least, Mannarino snapped his three-match losing streak in Indian Wells. In the Indian Wells first round, Mannarino edged out Dominic Thiem 4-6 6-4 7-6 (5). After the match, Mannarino simply said he knew he would win if he played his game.
"I knew if I was just playing my game, I would lose this match. So I was just trying to step up a little bit, be a little bit more aggressive, and it worked out. I returned pretty well in the big moments. I think that was the key," Mannarino said after beating Sinner. Next up on Mannarino's schedule is the Miami Masters.