CITI OPEN

August 7, 2021

Jannik Sinner

Press Conference

J. SINNER/J. Brooksby

7-6, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Incredible victory today. You had a tough opponent who had big crowd support. To me, I saw your net game. You were so ready for him at the net to the point that he stopped coming to the net. Do you think that factored in your victory today?

JANNIK SINNER: Well, first of all, you know, he is very great, great player. He understands the game very well. You know, it's not easy playing against him. Mixing up the shots very well and tried, you know, to sticking to my game plan and trying to a little bit -- sometimes I try to go to the net just to try to interrupt his rhythm a little bit.

I knew after the moment on 5-6, Love-40 I was, yeah, a little bit lucky. Then I played well. On 15-40 I mixed it up with a short slice, and then I think, you know, I played well there the tiebreak which gave me confidence for the second set, and I started well there.

You know, I think it was a great match from both of us. I mean, I think the level was quite high. The intensity was high. It was great to play here with the crowd, as well. It was, yeah, good.

Q. How are you feeling physically? There was a delay to the start of your doubles match. Were the lights not working? Wondering how much that was annoying in terms of wanting to get rest for tomorrow's final.

JANNIK SINNER: No, I think it was on time. I said 7:30 and we went on court 7:30. Because I finished at 6:00, I had to eat something. No, was all good.

Q. Your tiebreaker obviously followed two outstanding tiebreakers yesterday that you needed to beat Korda, if I'm not mistaken. Can you just speak about your mindset when you play a tiebreaker, how much confidence you have, how much poise you feel?

JANNIK SINNER: Well, the last couple of tiebreaks before this tournament I lost every single one. So, you know, I think tiebreak can go both ways. You know, each player has six games, and if you start quite well the tiebreak, maybe the percentage is maybe higher to win it, which I think in every tiebreak I played here was the reason.

I broke him today. You know, the first points I think was very important when I went, you know, 2-Love and 2-1, and then he made one easy mistake on 2-1. When I went to 3-1 was important.

Then after I think I served quite well. So, you know, tiebreak is very fast. Trying to keep it simple, trying to make the right moves. Yeah, I think today that was the key.

Q. Coming into this week you ranked 41st amongst top 50 players in the percentage of first-serve points you've won. Looking at your numbers this week, you have been broken serve just three times in four matches. Today you won over 85% of your first-serve points. How big of a focus has the serve been and what have you thought of your performance on serve this week?

JANNIK SINNER: Well, we were working very hard on the serve. After Wimbledon, obviously we had this kind of time off. I think physically I feel a little bit stronger which helps you out a little bit more on the serve, as well.

Yeah. I think trying to use it in the right way, I think that's what I'm trying to do, trying to mixing it up a bit more than I was before.

Yeah, you know, if you serve in that way, it's a little bit easier, maybe the shot after the serve. I have to say he is a very great returner. Sometimes he saw where I went, so, yeah, I think that was -- yeah, I think today I served maybe a little bit better than the couple of matches before.

Q. You are now into your fourth ATP final in the past year. Obviously those are all four that you have made in your career. It was funny in your postmatch press conference you were giving credit to Jenson. You said he's a young player, and the finest moment of his career. Patrick McEnroe pointed out you are actually younger than Jenson Brooksby. I'm curious if you feel as though you have established yourself now at the ATP Tour level, if you feel comfortable competing week in, week out, almost as a 26-year-old veteran would?

JANNIK SINNER: I think it's a little bit different. Federer has little more experience and all that, and I think it's not right to say that I am on that level. You know, what they are doing is incredible, you know. They are playing 20-plus years in this ATP Tour.

For me is what I'm trying to do is trying to working hard, trying to understand many things, and I think that's the most important thing when you're young. Yeah, in one way it's working good, as always. Couple of weeks maybe are not so good, like maybe the weeks before here, but, you know, you have to accept every solution. Obviously trying to enjoy, even if you lose some matches, trying to enjoy every, yeah, every day that we have on court.

Yeah. I mean, coming back to Jenson, he is young, but, you know, one year more or less it doesn't make any difference.

Q. At 5-6 in the first set, Brooksby had three breakpoints, but you defended. To me, you looked calm and collected. How was it really?

JANNIK SINNER: It's not easy to accept, because in the game before I had breakpoints. You know, he played a very good point there, dropshot and with the forehand pass.

No, I just tried to stay calm, staying, trying to be with the right mindset. These kind of things can happen. That is tennis, you know. If the set is going 7-6 or even 6-3 or 6-4 with no breaks, sometimes it's only one or two points is making the difference.

Today was exactly that. The first set could have gone either way. Yeah, I think, as I said before, this for sure gave me confidence for the second set.

Q. Obviously you are young, but I'm wondering, do you have any concern about the toll playing two matches today will take on you tomorrow? Will you have time to rest from two matches?

JANNIK SINNER: To be honest, no, because tomorrow I play at 5:00. It's quite late. Now what time is it? It's 9:00, so, you know, I'm just going to eat and going to bed.

There is a lot of time, and, I mean, I'm 19 years old, so I can recover quite fast (smiling).