AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2025

Jannik Sinner

Press Conference

J. SINNER/H. Rune

6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Jannik, well done. How tough were the conditions out there today?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, it was a tough match, both of us, knowing in my mind he played, you know, some long matches before today. I tried to, you know, stay there mentally, struggling a little bit also.

But happy to be in the next round.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Well played today. You said in the on-court interview with Jim Courier that when you woke up this morning, you knew the match was going to be tough, and you didn't practice today. Was there something going on today beyond the struggle with the conditions?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, I don't want to talk, you know, so much how I felt today. I was not feeling really well. You know, I think we saw that today, I was struggling physically. Came here as late as possible.

You know, I knew that it was going to be very, very difficult today. You know, playing against a tough opponent, but also playing against myself a little bit.

I knew this before. I tried to handle the situation on the court as good as I could, which I think today I handled, you know, as well as possible. You know, happy to be in the next round.

Q. Was the medical attention that you had helpful? Did it make a difference?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, I talked with the doctor before already, before going on the court. I had a little checkup.

Yeah, it was a bit helpful. I at least felt slightly better when I went back on court. I felt like the face looked a little bit better, the color was a little bit back.

So, yeah, that helped, for sure. You know, it's a tough conditions. You know, yesterday was hot. Today was hot again.

You know, every player, you know, struggles a little bit. When you're not there health-wise where you want to be, it's also even more difficult, but it helped, yeah. It gave he some small medication, and then it wasn't slightly better.

Q. What were you expecting from Holger today? How did you approach the game with your coaching team, because you have played him four times already before today, and they have been super-tight contests?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, I don't want to talk, you know, about tactics, but you know, he's a very aggressive player. This I know. He knows me also how we play. We know each other quite well now, what to expect.

He has improved a lot in the past, you know, year. So you have to expect, you know, the unexpected sometimes with him.

But he's an amazing player. Big, big talent, as we saw. It's trying to take the chances, the small chances, I had today, which I have done. Third, if he breaks me early, you know, it's a game-changer, no?

But happy that I stayed strong there and have helped me a little bit.

Q. It looked like you were limping at points. Something on your left-hand side. Was that an injury or an issue you're managing?

JANNIK SINNER: No, no. When I'm not feeling well on court, sometimes I tend to walk a little bit, you know, on the left. But, no, injury-wise I have nothing. Just health-wise a little bit struggling, but I'm good with injuries.

Q. You could play Alex next, who you have a very good record against. Does that change how you prepare at all? Does it give you additional confidence that you have that head-to-head record?

JANNIK SINNER: No, I mean, every match is different. Playing against him here in Australia, it's for sure different.

Let's see. He has a tough match tonight. Whoever wins, it's going to be very, very difficult. Just trying to watch on my side what I have to do, trying to recover and hopefully be ready for the next one.

Q. At 2-1 in the third set you were sitting down. When you were kind of cooling yourself down, your hands were shaking. How were you feeling at that point? How concerned were you? What were you thinking?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, I think we saw that I was not feeling well, especially in that moment I was, you know, a bit dizzy at times.

I don't want to go in details, no? I think it was, you know, then also with the pressure and everything, it was not easy. The sun came out that point. It was more humid.

But I think overall, you know, not talking about me and those physical aspects, I think it was a great match. I think that's what we have to focus on, and some ups and downs what he had and I had and a lot of pressure points. I think it was high-quality match.

Q. In moments like that, are you able to focus on the match and what's happening next, or did your mind wander anywhere else?

JANNIK SINNER: When? During the match?

Q. In that point at 2-1...

JANNIK SINNER: No, I was trying to stay as close as possible with my service games, trying then, you know, to get the points going on the return games.

But mostly on the service games, trying to, you know, stay there. Then everything can happen.

Q. On the net, have you ever had that happen to you before? Was that 20 minutes actually quite helpful as a chance to regroup?

JANNIK SINNER: Yes, it was very helpful today. Obviously nobody was expecting this kind of thing. Usually when the net breaks, it's not the bottom. It's the thing what keeps the net and the bottom thing together.

Broke the other part, which is the most important part for the net to hold on. It helped me. Yeah, I was lucky today that, you know, this point, you know, 20 minutes off court, you know, trying to get back physically, putting some cold water in my head, it was very helpful. It was big, big luck to me today.