AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 22, 2025

Jannik Sinner

Press Conference

J. SINNER/A. de Minaur

6-3, 6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Jannik, well done. Do you feel you played your best tennis of the tournament so far? And what particularly clicked for you tonight?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, I felt like today was very great match from my side. I served very well. Breaking quite early in each set was very important for me and for my game. So, yeah, for sure was the best match of the tournament so far. Yeah, so let's see.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Jannik, you didn't play lead-in tournaments leading into the Australian Open. Given your illness, do you think that that's helped you keep some reserves in the tank for your next two matches, and do you think you'll continue to not play warmup events in Australia before the Australian Open in future years?

JANNIK SINNER: No, it depends. It depends of the end of the year. By playing some tournaments less, maybe, or Davis Cup. In the previous two years I played Davis Cup. We finished too late. It didn't make any sense to play any tournaments before the Australian Open, because the offseason is too short.

But, no, I feel like the illness has gone away now. I was feeling much, much better this morning. Playing in the evening helped a little bit. I had good rest throughout the last two nights. Yeah, now I'm feeling much better.

Q. Alex was in here before, and he was talking about your head-to-head record, which obviously you've dominated over the years. I'm wondering for you, when you are standing on the other side of the court, is there something that you can sense when you've got an opponent beat, perhaps maybe even before the match starts, given when you have had such a dominant record against him?

JANNIK SINNER: Well, you know, there are some... It's different, no, when these kind of scenarios happen.

I feel like still every match is different. Sometimes, you know, the momentum of a match can change very, very quickly.

You know, today if he makes me break in the second set, then the crowd gets involved and, you know, it can change fast.

Today I was very, very good when I was playing some good tennis, that I kept bringing my tennis today, and that helped for sure. But, you know, in the past matches there were some close ones.

If we take the Rotterdam final, for example, last year, this can go a little bit both ways. In the other way I always have to expect something different from him. You know, every time we play, you never know what's coming. So I have to be very prepared for every single thing. Today I was prepared.

Q. Jannik, I think you can only play at night now for the rest of the tournament. I just wonder, what is it in particular about the evening conditions that you think suit your game and how kind of good is that for you that it will just be night matches?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, there are goods and bads, no? Of course, you know, when it's not that hot, that's for sure something what I like a little bit more. The condition itself, it's different during the day.

For example, today was very, very windy. In the evening dropped a little bit the wind, so it was a bit easier to play. When I played the second-round match in the evening, it was quite windy. So, you know, it depends.

In the other way it also depends against what kind of opponent you play. Every day is different. Every opponent is different. I like day sessions, for example, because if you win, then you have a little bit more time to recover. But I also like night sessions because against certain players it's a bit different, no, to play.

You know, whatever comes, I try to be ready.

Q. As you head into your first major semifinal as defending champion, how is your experience different this time around?

JANNIK SINNER: Every time is different, no? The first times you always remember. And then when you do it again, you're still very, very happy to be here, no?

You know, we just never taking things for granted. I'm happy to be here. I'm happy trying to bring, you know, some good tennis when it counts, and that's it, no?

I like the conditions here to play, and the crowd is amazing. It was very respectful today. Knowing that playing against Alex here, it's not easy.

You know, I'm just trying to enjoy this moment, and then we see how it goes.

Q. There's obviously been a lot of reporting and speculation around your health in the past couple of days, and there's even been talk of you're recovering from pneumonia. Can you give us some specifics around what the actual illness is and whether it's something that will still impact you for the rest of the tournament?

JANNIK SINNER: No, after the match against Holger we made some blood test, you know, some tests. They were all solid, all good.

So, you know, sometimes it can happen that you just feel not that well in that day. Today I woke up feeling much, much better. I told my team straightaway that, you know, I'm feeling good tonight. Obviously playing not with the heat helps you, especially when you are not feeling that well. But today I felt well already in the morning. I'm still not perfectly, but I'm not concerned in couple of days that I should be fine.

But when I went on court, I felt great. This is just what my feelings were before the match. So when I went on court, I felt good with the pressure and everything. With the adrenaline, it helps a lot.

Q. I want to ask about your next match against Ben Shelton and what you are expecting from him and what you think he would have to do to be able to beat you?

JANNIK SINNER: Tough match. One of the biggest serves we have on tour. He's a very aggressive player, an all-around player. He can go to the net. He can stay back. We have to see, you know, also with the conditions, and then we see.

It's difficult match for both of us. We know each other a little bit better now. We had some tough matches in the last year, so let's see what's coming.

Q. I guess a follow-up to that. You've been in the position where you're the young up-and-comer with nothing to lose. He'll feel like he's got nothing to lose coming up against you and everything to gain in a semi. How do you handle that sort of situation against Ben?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, I've been in these situations already sometimes now. It's for sure different. But you know, at the end of the day every match, it starts with 0-0, and you just try to do your best, no? This is the only thing I can control.

You know, if someone plays better than me that day, I can't really do anything. We taking, as I said before, the things we never take, you know, granted. We are here trying to understand every situation, trying to get better and stronger, and then we see how it goes. Not only here, but also for the rest of the season.