NATIONAL BANK OPEN

August 13, 2023

Jannik Sinner

Press Conference

J. SINNER/A. de Minaur

6-4, 6-1

JANNIK SINNER

THE MODERATOR: Jannik, congratulations. How are you feeling with your first Masters trophy?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, for sure it feels amazing, no? Great result, one I can share with all my team, with the hard work we put in, with all the people that are close to me, even if they're not here physically.

So very happy about the whole tournament. And, yeah, as I said, it's a really good and great moment in my career.

Q. What did you learn from your losses against Medvedev and Hurkacz in Miami to win today?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, I think, as I said before the final, you know, finals are a little bit different. And when you play for such important trophy, when you got used to it a little bit before on -- yeah, on your feelings before the match and also during the match, trying to stay quiet, calm mentally.

And I think everything together today I was doing better than in the previous two finals in the Masters series. I was very focused about my game, what I had to do, and I felt like I was executing it in the right way. So I'm very happy.

Q. You made it look easy, but you played a very tough opponent, a very hot opponent in the final today. Can you just talk about how you got through Alex?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, I think it was a little bit windy, so we had both to adjust a little bit. I felt like I was returning very well. He was changing the game very, very good, especially when he was playing with the wind. He is lightning fast, so sometimes you have to go in the same corner again.

But I just tried to find the right balance on how much I have to push. And, yeah, sometimes I have to stay in the rally a little bit more. So it depends.

But I think technically we were prepared for a long fight. The first set was very important. In the second set, I was hitting a little bit more freer.

So, yeah, it was a good day in the office.

Q. Congratulations, Jannik, on the win. I'm curious what a win like this can do going forward for your confidence, particularly at the US Open and beyond the season?

JANNIK SINNER: Yea, for sure, it's a good confidence boost, no? especially going into the US Open.

It's going to be tough in Cinci because there's not so much time to adjust, but we will ask for a Wednesday start. Hopefully, I can get the Wednesday start so I have a couple of hits before the match, trying to be ready, yeah, for that tournament. And then trying to prepare in the best possible way the US Open.

Let's see what positive things can give me this win. I feel like for sure the confidence is going to be a little bit higher, but also my expectations are going to be higher.

So when I came here, I knew that I can play very, very good. So this is, as I said, a great result, and then we'll see how it goes in the future.

Q. Jannik, congratulations. On Wednesday it's your birthday. I know because it's also my birthday. I wanted to ask you if this is okay for a gift or do you want something else?

JANNIK SINNER: No, I'm very happy with this gift. And happy birthday to you. It's going to be Wednesday (smiling).

Well, it was -- this is going to be the third year in a row that I'm -- if they put me Wednesday that I'm going to play, during my birthday, a match, which I think is the best gift, no?

Because this is what I love to do, passion. You know, stepping on the court, having the fans which you can share this moment, which, as I said, three years in a row. So it's always a nice gift.

And I think the gift for that day is going to be the match, no? Because it's really nice.

Q. I noticed for most of the first set it was steady ground strokes and then late in the first set you made this little back spin shot that just floated over the net. Was that a decision that just that change-up that you felt was the right time? Could you tell me a little bit about the decision to change things up?

JANNIK SINNER: The drop shot?

Q. Yeah. And then you broke and then you took the set.

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah. Well, he was moving very, very well, and I was playing against the wind. So the drop shot is a good solution because it stops the ball. When it went out of the racket, I felt like maybe it's going to the net. But, fortunately, it went to the other side.

But I felt like it was the right moment to play, to mix it up both a little bit the game. Because we were both playing quite flat. And with the wind, it's tough to -- yeah, to play a little bit more with topspin.

But sometimes, you know, you have to change up a little bit. And I think today this was one of the solutions. In my mind, I wanted also to make some serve and volleys, but I was not serving that well, so I was a bit afraid.

And, yeah, I still feel like there is room to improve, for sure, how to handle a couple of situations better.

Q. Congratulations. For how long have you been wanting this? For how long a title like this has been on your radar?

JANNIK SINNER: This is from every tennis player's dream, no? to win one of these tournaments.

Watching it in TV, obviously. But I started to believe, yeah, from -- a little bit more from last year. Because I felt like that I had the level to go a little bit further in every tournament. And I think I've shown this, especially this year, you know, making some semifinals and final in important moments -- in important tournaments.

And, you know, then you really start to believe, and I believed that I can win one. It's, obviously, tough to say before the tournament that this is going to be the tournament. But, yeah, just happy, obviously.

But the belief in your mindset is very important in this sport. So, obviously, thanks to Darren, you know, who is a very important character in our team. It was very important.

Q. Jannik, all week long, I've seen you working hard in practice but also having moments where you're having fun out there with your family, lots of smiles, making Darren do push-ups when you hit your service targets. How important is it for you to have those moments when you prepare for matches like this to have fun in that way, and do you think it's good to have Darren doing those push-ups at his age?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, usually when we put down the targets, I'm not that good. So that's why we say, if I take one down, so he can make push-ups (smiling). And, you know, it's also important, you know, to make some fun games during the practice.

Also off court, trying to do sometimes something different or trying out maybe a different restaurant, for example, you know, just to change up a little bit. Because if not, if you do always the same thing, it's quite heavy, no?

But in the other way, during the match, I'm very focused. When I practice, I'm very focused, you know, trying to get better. But, obviously, the fun moments are also important. And I feel like that I have improved in this kind of view that I can enjoy myself a little bit better but being also focused to practice good.

Q. My question is when you were young or when you were a kid, you did ski as well. So how can you transfer something from the ski to tennis, some skills?

JANNIK SINNER: The only skill I would say is maybe the sliding and the balance on court. Maybe that's the only thing. But, like, generally talking, it's a completely different sport.

One of the reasons why I chose tennis is because in tennis you don't have to be really afraid of -- you know, of nothing, because nothing can really happen. In ski, you know, when you fall down, you never know if you break something or not.

So that's one of the reasons, if not the reason, why I chose to play tennis, no? And even if you miss one ball, but you have lots of opportunities somehow to win the match, which is another scenario where I prefer tennis. And, you know, in a ski race, you make one mistake, you cannot win, no?

So there are a couple of different things.

Q. Alex said that you have some of the hardest ground strokes that he's ever dealt with. I'm curious just how you've been able to develop your ball striking over your career to make it such an asset for you?

JANNIK SINNER: I think I always had a quite fluid ground stroke. I was fortunate when I was young that I was not strong physically, so somehow I had to find a way to have a good ground stroke speed. So that's why I worked a lot technically.

Now I'm getting also stronger physically. You know, I'm growing. And I guess the combination of being fluid and flexible but also getting stronger makes you hit the ball a little bit harder, no?

Obviously, sometimes you have also to adjust and understand how much power you want to use, no? If you are against the wind, obviously, you have to use a little bit more. And if you're with the wind, you take also his ball a little bit and trying to maneuver it.

But I think the combination of strength but also fluidity is very important.