GREAT OCEAN ROAD OPEN

February 7, 2021

Jannik Sinner

Press Conference

J. SINNER/S. Travaglia

7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You're starting the year the same way you finished 2020. 10 consecutive wins now, but tomorrow quick turnaround, first round against Shapovalov in the Australian Open. Sum up the week and talk about tomorrow.

JANNIK SINNER: Well, I think ending off the year and beginning of a new year, it's a bit different. As I said already in the last press conference, I think we've made a good preparation, tough preparation, and obviously tomorrow is starting already a new tournament, a new week, new feelings. But what I've done, I've done. It's a tough match for sure against Denis. Just see how the match is going, and yeah, obviously it's going to be an interesting match. Both very young players, and yeah, I'm just excited for tomorrow's match.

Q. You looked like you were struggling a bit there in the second set. Maybe just tired, which you have every right to be tired after all the tennis you've played this week. What was happening with your body, with your mind?

JANNIK SINNER: Well, even if you are normal, normal condition, sometimes you feel -- it can happen that you feel a bit tired, a bit in tension, not in a perfect way, and for me that was in the second set. I just tried to stay there, tried to play every point, which I've done, and you know, in important points, I guess I was serving quite okay today. Yeah, I think somehow you have to find a solution, which I've done today, and for that I'm very proud.

Q. How hard will the tournament be? In the comments you mentioned your physio for the work he's done with you this week. How much work do you think needs to get done in the next 24 hours and how hard is it to shift gears and all of a sudden be ready to play the No. 11?

JANNIK SINNER: Well, I think it's important, obviously. I don't know how much time. I just think from when I go away now from the tennis center to take off a little bit to don't think about tennis, trying to sleep well, trying to -- tomorrow I play late, so come here quite late, as well, and trying to be in the best possible situation, physical situation, mental situation.

And then as I said, it's going to be an interesting match.

Q. You said the new season, 2021, is different to last season, and this is a new tournament. Are you saying you don't really carry that much confidence or you don't think that much back to, say, your Sofia tournament that you won at the end of last year? Is it a fresh start or do you take confidence from those five matches you won and bring them into this year?

JANNIK SINNER: Well, I don't think that match about -- that I've won the last five matches from the last year. There have been very great moments from last year, which obviously I take with me. But you know, this is not only about winning. Sometimes losing matches, important matches can help you maybe even more, especially when you are young.

I think I've done that very good in the last year. Obviously the confidence is here. Second ATP title, and this one is a bit different. Tough situations, tough week for every player, playing twice in one day.

Yesterday I had a tough match against Karen, so today I'm very happy about my performance.