ROLEX SHANGHAI MASTERS

October 10, 2024

Jannik Sinner

Press Conference

J. SINNER/D. Medvedev

6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Jannik, well done. How pleased were you with your performance today?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, it was a great match for my side. Obviously we know each other a little bit better every time when we play against. I felt like he had some shoulder problems today, and I think we all could see, so he didn't play at his best, especially with the forehand, but, you know, this can happen.

I took advantage of that today. I felt like I was playing some good tennis, especially the first set, trying to keep going in the second set, and, yeah, it was a good performance from my side.

Q. You're sussing up for a potential rematch with Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals, how do you feel about that?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, it's, again, a great opportunity, no? Happy that I play myself in this, you know, important rounds of tournaments.

And then, you know, playing against Carlos, that's never easy, but I try to put myself always in the best possible position, and then we see what I can do and what I can achieve. It's going to be, for sure, a very tough match, but, you know, that's exactly what I'm looking for, you know, as a player.

And then we see, I mean, he still has to win tonight. You know, you never know in tennis. Of course he's the favorite, but can happen everything on the court, and then we see.

Q. You are putting up some amazing statistics this year, including that was your 63rd match win. Do you pay attention to those sorts of numbers?

JANNIK SINNER: Not really, because I try to play every tournament with a good mentality. Obviously every tournament is different, every situation's different. The first round matches are usually very, very tough, also the second round, you know, trying to get into the rhythm. But, yes, obviously I feel that the season I'm playing is very, very good season, it's a high-quality season, and I try to keep going.

I mean, it's not over yet, the season, we are still some big tournaments coming up. After here is Paris, and then ATP Finals in Turin, and, you know, it's not finished yet. But, you know, the first part is always trying to improve daily, you know, what we can see what we have to improve, and that's it.

Q. Rafa Nadal just announced history retirement today. What's your impression about him as a competitor and as a person?

JANNIK SINNER: Well, it's tough news for, I think, all the tennis world, and not only tennis world. What I can say, I was very lucky to get to know him also, like, you know, person's-wise, and he's an unbelievable person.

Of course, the player, we all saw how good he has been as a player, and, you know, the lessons he taught us, you know, the young players, how to behave on the court, how to handle situations on the court, tough situations. Yeah, he gave to all of us a lot of emotions when we saw him playing.

And also to stay humble, you know, in the same time, not changing with the success, choosing the right people around him, having a great family.

There are so many great things he gave to all of us, and obviously it's a tough, yeah, it's a tough, you know, notification, but in another way everything has a beginning, and it has a start, and also an ending. So, yeah, only he knows how he feels, so it's, yeah, it's a tough one, but, you know, yeah, that's it.

Q. Talking about Rafa's retirement, Rafa, Roger, Novak, what the Big 3 has achieved in last couple years brings you guys, new generation, you are much younger than them, is that more pressure or motivation to go ahead, to go forward?

JANNIK SINNER: No, I mean, what they have done in the last years has been amazing. There are not so many things to say about pressure, the pressure is always going to be there. But, you know, talking from my side, I think about myself, what I have to do on the court, what I have to improve, and that hopefully makes it better as a player, you know, and also a consistent player. They have been very consistent throughout the years and years and years. There's not only been one season or two seasons, they made it for 15 years.

So, it's amazing what they have achieved, what they have done. There are a lot of things what we can take from them. We cannot compare us with them, you know, that's impossible, especially in this moment now. I think we all were very lucky to see the Big 3, you know, playing tennis. And I consider myself very lucky to get to know them also as person and, you know, to learning from them, and, yeah, I think that's it.