ROLAND GARROS

June 4, 2024

Jannik Sinner

Press Conference

J. SINNER/D. Dimitrov

6-2, 6-4, 7-6

Q. Well done. Obviously not the way you wanted with Novak withdrawing from the tournament and you still have to finish the event yourself, but how did you react to the fact that you will be No. 1 in the PIF ATP rankings on Monday?

JANNIK SINNER: It means a lot to me for sure. It's not the way we all were expecting actually. He had two very long matches, tough matches, five sets, so it's tough. The first one he finished really late also.

You know, it's tough also for the tournament. Novak retiring, it's always tough.

Talking about myself, I am very happy about this achievement. It's a lot of work we put in daily. It's a daily routine. Obviously happy to have this number.

In two days there is a very important match for me, the semifinals, so I'm focused about that at the moment. But, yes, of course, very happy to have this number now.

Q. Can I ask you about the courts? As you know, Novak pulling out and saying that he thought it was too slippery. Have you found that you've been slipping and sliding more this year on the Chatrier court, and do you feel there's less clay on the surface than there usually would be?

JANNIK SINNER: Today was a little bit windy, so with the wind the clay went a bit away. It was also first time that it was a little bit sunny, so when it's sunny, it's a little bit slippery. This is normal for clay.

I played many matches lately indoors or very cold conditions where it's a little bit more sticky. I don't know how yesterday it was because every day is a little bit different. So I don't want to respond on this.

Q. I just wanted to ask you, with Novak withdrawing, Casper goes to the semis. I just wondered, somebody suggested could he maybe play Francisco instead who lost to Novak yesterday. I just wonder if you had a view on tournaments doing that.

JANNIK SINNER: Sorry. What?

Q. Casper gets a bye through to the semis because he's not playing Novak, and there's been suggestions that maybe Casper could play Francisco instead who lost to Novak. Just wondered if you thought that's possible that tournaments could do that, or you didn't think that was a good idea?

JANNIK SINNER: But he lost already, no?

Q. Like a lucky loser in qualifying. Like that sort of arrangement.

JANNIK SINNER: No, I think if someone loses in the main draw, that's it, no. Then I don't know if they make the rule, they make the rule. I don't know.

Q. Could I just ask about your co-coach Darren Cahill, who I understand now you will be his fourth World No. 1. It's an extraordinary record itself. Could you talk about him and what he's meant to you and what you think of that achievement.

JANNIK SINNER: We started to work now nearly two years now together. It's obviously a huge pleasure for me to have him. I still remember the first week we had in Eastbourne on grass. Immediately I had good feelings with him because he has a lot of experience obviously.

I know that he brought different kind of players to World No. 1. He had great achievements also with different players. He knows how to adapt to each player, and I think this is a quality what's amazing, no?

Him and also the combination with Simone is really, really good. They're two different coaches, but they work together really well. They are very humble, and they respect each other very much.

I think the combination is very good. I'm lucky to have both of them and all the rest of the team. That's it, so I'm happy.

Q. Can you just walk us through the end of that match from 5-4 when you serve for the match, and it seems it gets a little bit tighter there. What went through your mind and your game at this point?

JANNIK SINNER: Things can happen. For sure when you serve for the match, the first point was very important. I missed easy backhand, and then after I'm 15-30, I missed easy forehands. But, you know, this is part of the sport, part of the tension. You cannot play always in the same way. You have to accept it, no?

I think it was very important to stay very close with my service games on 5-6. The tiebreak I played really well, even if I had those couple of chances before. But, you know, I'm happy to see this couple of things while I'm playing, trying to understand.

Yeah, I think this is normal to have some ups and downs. So it was all okay.

Q. When exactly did you know that Novak had pulled out and that you would be the World No. 1? How difficult was it for you to keep all of that outside your head when you took the court and just focus on the quarterfinal?

JANNIK SINNER: Well, it's easy because they told me after the match. (Laughter.) I didn't know that he pulled out. Even if I would have known before, as I said, it's a great achievement, but I want to measure myself on this surface, on the clay, no. It's a surface where I struggle a lot sometimes and especially the beginning. We have seen this in the last years. I'm even more happy to be in the semis.

I came here with some doubts, physical doubts, and my body seems stronger and stronger day by day, which for me was the main goal coming here. I'm happy that I have a chance to play here in a very important match for myself in the semis. Then we'll see what I can do.

Q. Italy have had some great players over the years, some Grand Slam champions, but what does it mean to you as an Italian to be the first Italian No. 1?

JANNIK SINNER: It means a lot, but I think it's great for Italy. We are great country with great coaches and players, and we can see this now how this moment is.

I'm happy to be part of this Italian movement. People, they start to play tennis now more and more, which is great to see. I think that's the most important.

If someone is No. 1 or No. 2 or No. 10, everyone is trying their best. We have a lot of tournaments. We have junior tournaments and futures and challengers, and we have great tournaments, ATP tournaments, we have ATP Finals in Turin and Rome, and we had the Next Gen in Milan. It's great to see this movement in Italy.

I think Italy deserves it, no, because it's a great country. We have everything. It's good to be part of this movement.

Q. Over the last 12 months was there a moment that you felt a little different, that maybe you had moved to another level? Here you are as World No. 1. Was there a moment that made you feel like this is different now?

JANNIK SINNER: I think I've learned a lot from the losses I had, especially one year ago here. I learned, and I had to accept to learn from myself, of my body language. I worked a lot on that.

Then I had also US Open. I had a little switch after Sascha's loss. There are some moments where you have to realize what you have done wrong and sometimes it's tough to accept, but this is the right way.

I have very honest people around me, and they tell me only the truth. When it's good, it's good; when it's bad, it's bad. It's part of the process. We will still keep working a lot.

I know in my mind that I have to improve some things, so I'm just looking forward, yeah, to become a better tennis player.

Q. You talked about struggling on clay during your career. What for you was the most difficult part of the surface, and how and what do you think you improved the most?

JANNIK SINNER: I think physically for sure. It's a very physical surface, and you play more tennis. Sometimes on hard court you hit fast for couple of balls and then it's over, or if you serve good, it's over. On this surface, there are some more, yeah, key moments what you have to understand.

Every player struggles a little bit more on certain surfaces. Mine was also. Let's see this year how I will play on grass because on grass I've had only one good season, which was last year. Before I was struggling more and more.

Let's see what is coming, no? I think it's good, no, to realize that you struggle a little bit. You have to understand yourself. Yeah, that's it.