CITI OPEN

August 6, 2021

Jannik Sinner

Press Conference

J. SINNER/S. Johnson

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You said you skipped the Olympics to work on your game, was what you said in your statement. Wondering what you were working on and how it's paying off here, if so?

JANNIK SINNER: I mean, on everything, to be honest, especially physically we worked very hard. Obviously on tennis and everything, especially on the serve because we switched from a little bit of the position from the foot, from the feet, and, yeah, but everything, to be honest.

I don't think it's paying off immediately, to be honest. It takes time. It takes a lot of matches. But, you know, I have been working very hard physically, I would say. Obviously tennis-wise, I mean, you play every day. You learn something. But physically we were pushing quite hard.

Q. On that note, I noticed you back out on the practice court today immediately following your match. I'm curious what led to that decision? What were you hoping to work out after winning in just over an hour today?

JANNIK SINNER: On everything. I mean, we do classic, some basket (phonetic), serve obviously. You know, taking something in, maybe what we think for tomorrow is important or not. But, you know, 90% is always, you know, the same thing, keeping things simple. If there is some extra, we put it in.

But, you know, it's not about today's match or tomorrow's match. It's like a routine. If we have time and if the schedule is already out, like tomorrow I play quite, not late, but I play late in the afternoon, so, you know, now we have time to recover and we try.

Q. Coming into this event, you had a three-match losing streak. I'm curious, now having made the semifinals here, what you think about your level of play not only this week but heading into some big events later this summer.

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, I mean, it's not easy. Not easy times, because I was up many times. First of all, in Queen's for me was not easy playing on grass. I don't have so much experience. So, you know, but I was up so many times, and I lost that match.

Then after, in Wimbledon, you know, at the end, you know, he played well, but I had my chances. Then in Atlanta I had my chances, as well, especially in the first set. I had three set points, I couldn't close it out.

But, you know, we were always working hard, you know, trying to get my confidence a little bit back. Now, you know, winning three matches for me was important, you know, especially for the next tournaments, having some match practice, singles and doubles, which I think doubles helps me, helps me a lot, helps me on the net and on serve and return.

So, no, obviously thanks to, yeah, Sebastian Korda that we have the chance to play together, like last week with Reilly Opelka. It's nice to have some other kind of conversation with other players. You know, getting a little bit of confidence with everyone, and, yeah, I think, yeah, it's very nice.

Q. In terms of your matchup tomorrow, you play a fellow, I suppose, next gen player in Jenson Brooksby. Have you had a chance to see him play at all this week? What are you thinking about heading into your match tomorrow?

JANNIK SINNER: I think he's a very tricky player. He is maybe in the best moment of his young, young career, you know, playing the best tennis. He is, yeah, in confidence, really, really in confidence.

He beat very, very great players over the week here. He had already one final on grass. He lost against Anderson. But, you know, he is very, yeah, very tricky player. I don't know exactly how he plays. We never practiced together. We didn't spoke so much. I mean, just "hi" and "how are you" around the locker room.

Yeah, I think it's going to be a very interesting match, a very tough match. He puts a lot of balls in the court. It's very, maybe it's going to be physical.

But, you know, I see tomorrow how it goes, and then hopefully it's going to be a great match.

Q. I was about to ask whether the doubles play helps you because since you have been playing with Sebastian Korda in the doubles. Also, you are winning here. Doubles, you became a champion. But you already answered that. I'd like another comment on that. My second question is you said earlier that you failed to close out the game, like finish the game on your serve. Sometimes it happens, as far as I can see with your serve closing out the sets. Also, you refused surrender when the opponent is serving for the set. In these deciding moments you stay strong and at the same time you kind of sometimes have problems to finish the sets. What is your comment on that? Does it bother you, or isn't that a problem at all for you?

JANNIK SINNER: It's just part of the game. I mean, it doesn't happen only to us young players but even in the big guys. If you have seen, I don't know, the final of Roland Garros, Novak was serving and he lost the game 2-0 and 5-4. I think, or at least he lost -- it's a different situation at moment, because, you know, you going up a set is important. Losing a set is important.

I mean, there are different situations you have to be strong, and sometimes you fail and sometimes you make it good. Like today I served well on 5-4 and in the first set, but sometimes you have moments where you don't serve well, and then you have got breaks like when I was playing against Korda the first set, but it's normal. This is part of game. You have to accept that and trying to be strong in the next game or in the tiebreak. This is how it works.

Talking about doubles, I think, you know, when you're feeling confidence with your partner, it makes things much easier, I would say. You know, I have fun playing doubles with the young guy, you know, like Korda. I have fun. We talk. The same thing with Opelka. He's young. We talk. Yeah, it's enjoyable.

As I said, for me it's more important to serve 40-All when there is under pressure than going on practice courts and serve 100 balls. It's different. So I think this helps for singles players as well.

Q. I have talked to a few players about vaccinations and players trying to get vaccinated and trying to fit that into their schedule which can be tricky with the tour. I know this tournament is offering vaccines to players as well. Is that something you have already done? Is it something you're still trying to figure out how to do? What's your outlook on it?

JANNIK SINNER: I am vaccinated, because I was supposed to go to the Olympics. I prefer to vaccinate, but everyone has his own opinion about that. I can understand every opinion, because, you know, vaccination you have to think about. I said I do that, because maybe in the future it can help you like traveling.

Yeah, but I think everyone has his own opinion. Everyone has to accept it.

Q. As far as I know, you are using a lighter racquet but you generate really high energy. Are you implementing a special technique on that, or am I entirely wrong suggesting that you are using a relatively lighter racquet? What's the mystery? How do you generate that power?

JANNIK SINNER: I don't know. I have a racquet. There is a ball. I try to hit it. I mean, there are not so many secrets (smiling).

Talking about the racquet, I don't want to say so many things. I know that there are some players who have much heavier racquets, and there are some players who are not so heavy than mine is. Everyone has to feel comfortable with his own racquet. What I have, I have a good racquet, and the speed is good, the control is good.

I'm a guy who doesn't like to change this kind of thing. So I think everyone is, yeah, it has to be personal. Doesn't mean that if I play with this racquet it's going to be easier. I mean, I don't know.

I think Head is doing a good job for all racquets it's making, because Head is a very, very nice brand, and obviously racquet, one of the best racquets. But, you know, is personal.