MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAú

April 2, 2021

Jannik Sinner

Press Conference

J. SINNER/R. Bautista Agut

5-7, 6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. A couple of years ago you were still playing futures at this point, and you have always sort of spoken about how everything you do is for the long term and just trying to improve your game. Is it sort of surreal how quickly you have gotten to this point that you're in a Masters 1000 final?

JANNIK SINNER: Yes, obviously. You know, everything it sometimes can change everything fast. You know, I had a great run when I played Bergamo. I had a challenger, and then I won a couple of tournaments that year, you know, which sometimes can give a little bit of confidence.

Obviously, you know, you don't think about playing big tournaments on that point because the road is long, your ranking is not there. And then, you know, sometimes you feel good in some weeks.

Here I felt well from the beginning of the week on court. You know, I think obviously it's a great result here, but, you know, first I have one more match in front of me. The other thing is that it doesn't mean anything. I mean, obviously it's very nice to be part of this final, to play a final, to play for a win, but, you know, it's all about -- I just try to improve every day.

That's for my next years. That is still the main goal. Just trying to practice day after day with the right mentality. Then we will see in next years or in next months what's coming.

Q. You look so composed and calm on court, and even off court you're pretty mellow. Where does that come from? When you see some of the other Italian players, they can be pretty flamboyant but you're quite the opposite. Is that just something that you have developed? Does it come through from your family? Can you just explain some of that aspect of your personality?

JANNIK SINNER: You know, I think every player is different. Everyone has his own style on court and off court, and, you know, for me personally, I have it from my parents because, you know, they are working every day a simple job but, you know, they know what it means to work hard. They gave me this kind of mindset, always trying your best day after day and trying to don't lose energy during your job.

When I went to Riccardo Piatti I was 14. That was kind of a life-changer for me, because I never played tennis. I only played two times a week tennis. When I came there, I practiced every day, morning and afternoon. For me, that was very tough in the beginning, so that what helped me is just working hard every day and to don't try to lose energy on court because it's already tough your day. If you lose extra energy without any sense, it's even tougher.

I think, yeah, obviously these years of practice and the years were coming, I think the main goal is just to don't try to put away your energy and put your energy on important things.

Q. You are the fourth teenager to reach the men's final here in Miami. The other three are Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, and Andre Agassi. What is your reaction to joining that list?

JANNIK SINNER: You know, joining, it feels great obviously, but as I always say, you know, I'm 19. You know, the road to have this big name is long, you know. It's not done in one week of tournament. Is a long process to come there, to become there.

You know, I think it's nice to play finals here in Miami, but, you know, as I say, it doesn't mean anything, you know, that you are going to win other tournaments. I mean, the road is long. I know it. My team knows that.

Obviously it can be a great week for me. It is a great week for me. But, you know, the work has to go on. Obviously, as I said, it's nice but, you know, it doesn't mean anything.

Q. This is a really silly question you have probably been asked many times, but with a name like yours, do you have any stories that you might share in life with a name like that? Have you ever been teased or not? And also, what do your parents do? You mentioned your parents' work.

JANNIK SINNER: That's a question (smiling). No, because I never had problems with my name. Still yet I never have problems until now. Honestly, I don't think about that (smiling) because it is my name, what my parents gave me. You know, I'm proud to have that name. Yeah, I think that's it.

My dad is a cook. He's cooking in the kitchen in a restaurant. My mom is, I don't know how to call it. On the same restaurant, you know, who is going to pick the place and give it to the guests. How do we call it? A server? Something like that. Service, right? In English? Yeah, that's it.

Q. It seemed like you were in some trouble in the match at 3-3 in the second set. You were able to come back from Love-40 down. Can you talk me through that game a little bit? You didn't make many first serves, but yet you were still able to find your way out of that game. Was that very important for you?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah. Obviously, you know, I felt that Roberto was going a little bit -- he was playing a little bit faster that game. I made some little mistakes.

I just tried to stick into there because, you know, when you go 4-3 down with break, it's never easy to come back. Is always possible to come back obviously, but, you know, I just tried to sticking to there. I didn't serve that well in this game, but I think the rallies I played I played in the right way. I went twice to the net.

So, you know, obviously you prefer to don't come to that point or you prefer to serve a little bit better, but it doesn't mean that you're going to lose the game, or even if you're Love-40 down, you know, just trying to keep fighting. Yeah, and then I think obviously that game helped me a little bit in the match.

That game changed a little bit the match, can be. It was the same like Hurkacz and Tsitsipas, 2-0 with the breakpoints, he went then to won. Some points can decide the match and sometimes can give you a little bit more of strength.

I think it was important that game. But even if I went break down, it doesn't mean anything, because, you know, it's still long the match. Yeah.

Q. Andrey before the tournament in Dubai talked about what opportunities were going to be here in Miami because Rafa and Djokovic and Federer were not playing. Did you approach this tournament with a similar mindset that without those top players there this presented a real opportunity for you to potentially play very deep into the tournament?

JANNIK SINNER: Well, you know, we knew that many players are not coming here, especially the big three. Dominic Thiem was not coming. You know, we approached this tournament, you know, to go very, very far.

It's a little bit different this tournament to don't see big names or the biggest names. You know, it's a little bit different. We came here I think with the right mentality, with the right mindset. We always go to every tournament to win, trying to win as many matches as possible.

Some weeks you do better and some weeks you do a little bit worse, but, you know, I think I have a good team behind me who can show me many, many things. You know, I'm happy about what I was able to do this week. There is one more match in front of me, so I'm trying to play my tennis.