BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 12, 2024

Jannik Sinner

Press Conference

J. SINNER/B. Shelton

7-6, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Congrats. Very high-level first set and the match overall. What do you think made the difference?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, I think were many important points, especially in the first set. Even before the tiebreak I had to save some breakpoints quite early on. I was up in the tiebreak. Made couple of mistakes. Then he played a really good point at 4-1, and, you know, these are all points which are really, really important.

Happy about the first set, how I reacted. Yeah, let's see what's coming the next round.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You're on this incredible streak, not just a lot of matches but in very important events. Just talk about the role of confidence, the habit of winning. Is that a really asset, does that help you?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, I mean, I never take things granted. I mean, every tournament, every match you go on court trying to do your best, trying to stay mentally focused. That's what I try to do.

Every day there's a different opponent. Today was not only a different opponent but, you know, lefty, he's serving incredibly well.

I'm looking forward for these kind of challenges. The next match is also a challenge. I don't know my opponent. So we played, like, five years ago somewhere. I don't even remember, so because they told me, I know. And then we see what's happening, no?

He's playing incredibly well. I have to be very focused from the first point, and hopefully I can show some good tennis.

Q. What have you learned about how to handle some of those moments you had in the first set? Serving for the set and not finishing it off. Having a few set points on his serve and not being able to get over the line. But then being able to prevail in the tiebreaker. What are some of the techniques you've been able to use to keep yourself on track when that happens?

JANNIK SINNER: You can learn them only by first losing them. I lost also so many for these kind of matches, no? You just have to accept it in one way, and then trying to work. I mean, that's the only thing.

I had some really tough matches which I lost in the past. I'm still really young, but I lost them. But I'm just trying to understand why I lost them.

Yeah, so maybe also today I could have lost, you know, like it's one point, and then you are 5-4 down, and then you have to serve for the tiebreak, you know. It's really tough.

But in the other way, you have to be, you know, positive with your mindset, and which I guess I am at the moment. You know, this helps a lot.

Q. Can you talk a bit about your serve and the evolution of the shots since the last two seasons. Seems like statistically it's getting better every year since 2022. What are some of the reasons you're having such an effective serve right now?

JANNIK SINNER: I mean, when you're that young, it's also much easier to improve, no? Physically, you grow, you work a lot in the gym. You're getting stronger. You can serve faster for a longer period of time.

I am still 22, making 23, and hopefully I can still improve, you know, the serve for the next years until it's getting, you know, a consistent shot. Then when it's a consistent shot, which I feel it's getting now slowly there, then you can choose also the way you serve. Not only very fast. You can serve kick or slice, you know, also to the body.

But also to reach this, you have to understand what works best. I changed the serve motion last year in the middle of the season. There is a lot of work behind.

Q. I was wondering how much you saw of Novak's match last night and how well you know Luca Nardi?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, we know each other, I won't say really well, but we know each other quite good. He was supposed to practice with me in the offseason this year. He twisted his ankle the second day, so he went back.

But I know him. He's an incredible player. Big, big talent. He has built now, what I know, his team behind him, that what we have now in Italy, we have a lot of great coaches, a lot of good structures where players can build on.

He's a very nice guy. He's a really good kid, and I'm really happy for him. These are the moments, you know, playing against the No. 1 in the world, you go on court, you never know what to expect, what's happening. You know, beating him the first time when he plays, it's incredible, no?

I'm really happy for him and hopefully he can show some good tennis in the future. My feeling is that we will see him around hopefully for a long time because if he stays healthy physically, tennis-wise he plays incredibly well, he has good hands.

I'm happy for him.

Q. Jannik, it's now a couple of months since the Australian Open, and you said the other day that you celebrated that night and it's now a time to look ahead at other tournaments and trying to do well at the other ones. But with the fact that you've now won a major, does that relieve the pressure off you completely to do it? You've achieved it. Yes, of course you want more and more. But, it's not as if people are saying, Oh, he's got to win a major, he's got to win a major, anything like that. Do you feel less pressure to do it?

JANNIK SINNER: No, less pressure, no, because other players, they know you, everyone wants to beat, you know, the players who has won Grand Slams or whatever.

But I don't think it's a thing of pressure or not pressure. It's more about the relief what you said. Like, it's, for sure, there will always be people who talk, no? This is normal. You have to be smart as a player to give it the right importance when they talk about you.

I've always been one player who, for me, doesn't really matter what people say, you know. Either people like me or they don't like me. I cannot control everyone. That what I can control are the people who are around me, and for me they are much more important than all the rest.

But talking about this thing, winning a Grand Slam, it's an incredible feeling, nice feeling. I still have it in my mind. But in the other way, we are already months away. I'm playing here, and I have pressure on my shoulders. I mean, this is normal.

But I also enjoy these kind of moments on the court. To be around, you know, fans and crowd, it's a good feeling.

Q. Even though you are young, you have experienced a lot, gone through many things. You said that you had some loss, which is tough and you learned a lot. So I was wondering if you look back on your career, is any some specific matches or specific tournament or making decision where you can call it, like, a turning point or something?

JANNIK SINNER: No, you are always made -- last year was different, this year I'm different, and hopefully next year I'm different again.

There have been some matches, like the match against Carlos in US Open, for example, when I had match point, and then also last year against Sascha in US Open. When you have these close battles, it doesn't really matter if you go in the tiebreaker or not. It's when you feel like that you play a lot of moments of the match, these are really important, like, for the future.

Even if it hurts, I just try to understand what happened. Couldn't sleep during the night because you're still thinking about the match. Yeah, it's all about the process you can understand and trying to work harder the next day.