AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 9, 2021

Jannik Sinner

Press Conference

D. SHAPOVALOV/J. Sinner

3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tough luck. It was a great match. What made the difference in the end?

JANNIK SINNER: Well, I think it has been tough on both sides. He's a great player. He served better than me today.

There were some difficult points, especially the first game in the fifth set. He returned good some points. Then he served quite well.

There's not that much difference between him and me. Is just, yeah, he played today better during certain points. Yeah, he deserved to win today.

Q. Would you have played that tough match in that tough tournament over the last weekend? I know you won a second title, but it might have hurt you a bit today.

JANNIK SINNER: I don't think it hurt me, to be honest. Obviously I started to feel a bit tired after, but I think I can learn many things from that, because if sometimes you go in bigger tournaments and you play semifinal, quarterfinals or finals, you're tired.

I already done the situation once today, and I tried to be there every point, trying to play every point, and, yeah, I tried my best.

Q. You played fantastically well. Do you think having 19-year-old legs gave you the sort of encouragement to play so many matches?

JANNIK SINNER: What does mean...

Q. Being young, having young legs.

JANNIK SINNER: Well, yes, over the lockdown I have missed competing. I'm here to compete. Nothing more.

But I'm already looking forward to improve day after day, and playing next tournament with the right mentality.

Q. And you feel like out of this whole month in Australia, what's been the biggest lesson that you have taken out of it?

JANNIK SINNER: I think practice with Rafa (smiling). It's a big, big lesson. Even today I lost, but, you know, I have to understand why I lost and then it's going to be a big lesson, as well, I think.

So it's not only one but I think firstly to come here, the reason why we came here was to practice with Rafa for two weeks, because I think he can give me many things about how to stay on court with the right mentality and I think that's the biggest lesson.

Even today it's, for me, mentally tough losing here in the fifth, but it's going to be a lesson, as well.