ROLAND GARROS

October 4, 2020

Jannik Sinner

Press Conference

J. SINNER/A. Zverev

6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You have talked about growing and learning as you go all week long. Now you've earned yourself one of the most difficult tests you can have in this sport, which is facing Rafa at Roland Garros. I would assume that you're very excited about having this challenge in front of you as a learning experience how do you view it.

JANNIK SINNER: You know, obviously I'm playing against Rafa here in Roland Garros. It's not the easiest thing, for sure. I mean, I think the record he has here, I think nobody can beat that. He is super confident here. So, you know, it's going to be a difficult match for sure.

You know, it's always to go on court with the right attitude, trying to play your best tennis, which I have to do if I want to play in the same level as he plays. So, you know, just taking rest tomorrow, practice a little bit, and then we will see what's going on in two days.

Q. Alex Zverev just said he experienced some health problems with a cold, and he said that he shouldn't have played today. When did you realize that he wasn't in the best condition? Or do you even not realize it?

JANNIK SINNER: I didn't realize anything. I mean, I think in the first set he asked for the doctor on court, but I didn't ask for what, you know. I was focusing about myself. So, you know, if he had something, yeah, I'm sorry for him, for sure. But, you know, anyway, I think he didn't play that bad, you know.

I don't know which situation he was. Today was very windy. I think nobody today felt great on court. You know, it's tough conditions. At some point the wind was pretty high, and, you know, a lot of situations had changed game after game.

So, you know, if he didn't felt well, I'm sorry for him, and, yeah.

Q. I'm wondering if you're at all worried that Zverev might be contagious and he might have gotten you sick if he's playing while sick?

JANNIK SINNER: Sorry, I didn't understand.

Q. Zverev said he was feeling sick and was having a cold and a fever. I'm wondering if you're at all concerned whether he was contagious?

JANNIK SINNER: You know, I don't know. I don't know. I'm not into his body. I don't know how he felt, you know.

It's a tough question. I can't answer. I think he's honest guy, so if he says that he has cold or fever or whatever, I trust him.

You know, I'm sorry for him, as I said. But, you know, I think he physically conditions, it seemed that he was quite okay, you know, because in the third and fourth set he was running quite a lot. He was not that close to the line, you know, letting me play a lot.

You know, it was a match. But as I told you, I think he's honest guy, he's a nice guy, and if he says he has fever, I'm sorry for him.

Q. Wondering if you are concerned that you might get sick if you were near him when he's sick?

JANNIK SINNER: Well, you know, he's not positive for or whatever. We have got tested quite many times, you know, and obviously we were not that nearby, you know. It's like we always had the distance.

You know, I don't know, but I don't think that I will have fever next days, or I hope so. Maybe I have. I mean, you never know about that.

Q. Are you sort of pinching yourself with what you've achieved over here, reaching the quarterfinals and you're the first man to reach the Roland Garros quarterfinals on your debut since Nadal in 2005?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, I mean, I don't watch that much about this kind of records or whatever. You know, at the end of the day you want to play well every match, trying to win every match. So I felt like quite okay or quite good on court today, as well, even with the tough conditions.

Days before were a little bit easier to play without wind and anything. But if you ask me that I'm surprised, yeah, a little bit. A little bit, of course. But, you know, at the end of the day it's tennis, and, you always try to do your best. Some tournaments you play well; some tournaments you don't play well.

It's tennis. You have to accept what's going on. And, yeah, I mean, obviously it's great to be in quarterfinals. That's for sure. But, you know, I try to play my best tennis the next match.

Q. In recent months, Zverev has come back a lot from two sets down and won a lot of five-set matches. Wondering what it's like to play against him deep in a five-set match when he's serving big and getting every ball back.

JANNIK SINNER: It's never easy playing against him or playing against other top guys. You know, you have to be focused all the time. Sometimes you play bad games, which can happen, you know, like me in the third set or him twice in the first and second set, and you have to take this chance.

Obviously if we got into a five-set match, you know, just trying to best as well there. Knowing that he is quite good physically, I try to play as less sets as possible if I'm winning. So, you know, I tried to win in three sets obviously, which didn't work. He was raising up a little bit the level. And, you know, the key is always to be focused even if that's quite impossible for playing two hours always focused, but, you know, the plan is that.

So, yeah.

Q. There was no big celebration from you at the end. Is that because you feel there is still a lot of work to do?

JANNIK SINNER: Obviously there's a lot of work to do. As I said before, it's great to reach the quarterfinals here. I am quite calm, so even if inside I'm very happy and I don't show that so much, but, you know, yeah, I'm happy. But, you know, the work is still a lot of work to do. Physically, technically, everything. It's, yeah, a long way.

Yeah, I'm very happy that I have reached the quarterfinals.