ROLAND GARROS

May 31, 2024

Jannik Sinner

Press Conference

J. SINNER/P. Kotov

6-4, 6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Well done, Jannik. Do you feel your level is improving each round?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, thanks for the question. For sure I'm happy to be in the next round. It was a tough match. He's a very, very good player.

I played against him not so long ago, so he changed a couple of things. I was happy to get through, and let's see what I can do in the next round.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I'm just wondering if on clay there's a shot or a sequence or even movement that you use to judge your performance to know that, okay, today is a good day or that's it, my level is going the right way?

JANNIK SINNER: No, I think at the moment I watch a little bit on the general side of everything. Tennis-wise I felt quite good today on court. Physically I feel like I still have to improve a couple of things.

It's very important to rest, especially tomorrow. I'm trying to be ready for the next round. It's a very physical Grand Slam, so every single situation on the court I try to judge it in a positive way at the moment. I know that there are tough moments on the court, but, you know, you have to accept it and see the general side.

Q. So you are moving very well on the clay, especially considering the recent hip injury, and it's probably not your favorite surface. So is that your experience that you are moving well or moving better than in the past? Is it something you worked on?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, for sure I worked on certain movements on the court. You can prevent them a little bit in the gym, but you have to go through in the matches because in the matches you have to move well.

We were working a lot trying to be in the position where I am right now. I am happy at the moment knowing that I have to improve the physical shape, no, for the next round, but let's see what we can do tomorrow.

As I said, the rest is very important in Grand Slams, so I try to rest as much as I can. Tennis-wise, as I said, I felt quite good on the court trying to mix up the game a little bit more like I used to do. So, you know, which gives me more solutions. Yeah, that's it.

Q. As I am from Switzerland I have a skiing question. You were giant slalom champion at 12 in Italy. How well would you have become if you had continued? Would you have challenged Marco Odermatt, and what has skiing helped you for tennis?

JANNIK SINNER: (Laughter.) No, I answered this already once. I don't think that I could have gone in very, very professional league in skiing. That's my feeling, but you never know.

It helped me for sure a little bit with the balance I have on the court, the sliding, but mostly I feel like that it helped me mentally because mentally it's a completely different sport. You approach it in a different way.

I always had a little bit of fear when I had to go downhill in super-G where you jump quite a lot. So mentally on the court I'm not afraid to hit shots because nothing can happen. In skiing there can happen something, so yeah (laughing). I think that's it.

Q. I wonder generally how far you look up your draws for the next rounds, and what you do know about your two next possible opponents, Corentin Moutet and Sebastian Ofner, especially the last one, who is Austrian and who speaks German like you do? Did you have contact to him, already trained with him?

JANNIK SINNER: I played once against him in challenger in Ortisei. Let's see who wins today, they still have to play. Usually I don't watch too far in the draws, especially in the position where I am now. We go day by day.

Tomorrow is a very important day for me. We can practice. We can give me some rhythm on the court. If it's Moutet, it's different. He is a lefty, moving very well, French, which is here different to play.

So whoever wins, I try to be ready physically and tennis-wise. Yeah, then we see how it goes.

Q. Are you in pain at the moment at all when you are on court?

JANNIK SINNER: No, I feel good. The hip at the moment feels good, which I'm very, very proud. Me and my team, we made a very good job to be in the position to play here.

As I said, the general physical shape is not where I want to be. We try to prepare my body in the best possible way. The weather today was also different. It was very cold, so it's also different to play. The balls and the court are very heavy.

But, you know, these are situations you have to go through, you have to accept, and I'm trying to look forward.