When told that his luxurious shut-eye would evoke raised eyebrows, he said, “Everyone tells me that. Hopefully I can keep going.” He would turn the knife with: “And then I had again half an hour before the match, again sleeping. But hopefully I wake up when it counts. At 7pm I try to be awake.”

Jannik Sinner of Italy plays a forehand return to Holger Rune of Denmark during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia. (AP)

Channel 9 reporting on the sleeping prowess had quoted Sinner as telling Courier: “But obviously we try to feel the ball a little bit for half an hour, 40 minutes, try to have good food and now it’s quite long because we have to do press, we have to do ice baths, it’s all part of the job and hopefully I’m recovered for tomorrow’s practice.”

Describing the length of his “work day”, Sinner stated, “Today I arrived around 2.30pm and I’m going to leave in two hours from now, around 11.30pm more or less. And then I’m back to bed.” It drew continuous laughs from the crowd, ‘partly at Sinner’s answers and partly at disbelief at his sleeping prowess’ Channel 9 wrote.

Curating reactions, Channel 9 stated: “Tennis types were having a field day over Sinner’s confession, with one writing on X: “What does Jannik sinner do outside of the tennis court? HE SLEEPS.” Tennis journalist Jose Morgado tweeted: “Sinner says he sleeps 10 hours at night. Maybe that’s the secret.” Another fan wrote: “No wonder he’s so relaxed and has so much concentration and clarity on court! Definitely the key to Sinners success.”

Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts during his fourth round match against Holger Rune of Denmark at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia. (AP)

It had been his second straight hilarious post-match interview, the first with John McEnroe after his second-round win over Australia’s Tristan Schoolkate on Thursday focusing on his unflappable temperament, something that didn’t square with McEnroe’s perception of Italians. McEnroe asked Sinner: “I’m pretty emotional generally. When I’ve been in Italy, Italians express themselves. You’re able to control yourself so well. I want to know how you do it?”

Sinner sported a huge smirk on his face, Channel 9 wrote before quoting his reply: “We can say we are a bit different, me and you.

McEnroe would press on “But it shows that everyone is different, everyone has their own mentality.”

Sinner: “I have mine and I have to say I’m quite happy with my one.”

McEnroe fired back: “What are you saying?”

Sinner replied: “I think we stop here.”

On Monday though, he was in quote the state on what he called a “strange day”. Sinner still won, and his 10 hour sleep was still the talk of the town.