New champion of the Australian Open, Jannik Sinner made a great impact in Melbourne by ending the reign of Novak Djokovic in that Grand Slam. The world number 4 showed that he can shine in big events and took an important step in the fight for first place in the ranking. With little time to rest, he will return to action this week, at the ATP 500 in Rotterdam (indoor), where he will start as the first seed, against the Dutch Botic van de Zandschulp. Before the premiere, Sinner gave an interview to a group of seven media outlets, among which was THE NATION.
–Just two weeks ago you won the Australian Open. How many days off have you had since then? Were you able to visit your parents in San Candido?
–No, I haven’t been able to see my family yet, I hope to do so after Rotterdam. After winning in Melbourne I flew to Rome. I was there two days and took only two days off, that was it. Even in Rome I was working in the gym to not lose my physical condition, with the aim of arriving well prepared for Rotterdam.
–I wanted to ask you about your temperament, because you know how to control it very well in games. Was it always like this or was it different at the beginning of your career?
–Well, when I was six or seven years old I got angry, yes, but I wouldn’t say that much. In general I always tried to be calm. I’ve been like this for years. Obviously, sometimes I get angry because I feel tired, these are things that can happen. But I usually control my head well, it’s something I feel quite confident about. I think I’ve made a leap in this sense in the last two years, especially last season, to understand myself a little better. At the end of the day, the mind is the only thing you can control.
–In your beginnings, you chose to play the futures [la categoría menor del tenis profesional] and the challengers, instead of going to the junior tournaments in the Grand Slams. Because?
–I have always liked to face rivals better than me, because I feel that that is the way to test myself and learn new things. I played some junior tournaments when I was 15 or 16, but then, around the age of 16 and a half, I focused on playing futures. Being among the top 5 or 10 of the junior rankings for me was not that important at that time, and that was the reason why I was not in the junior Grand Slams, that was the thing. For me it was important to try to overcome those difficult moments on a court, and try to play better and better, and I understood that going to the futures was the way to achieve it.
–Is there a before and after of being champion in Australia? Could you feel the Sinner ‘boom’ that is being experienced in Italy?
–Yes, I was there and of course there is a lot more attention on me after Melbourne, and it is very nice to share these moments with the people who support me. But as a person, and also my team, the way we work hasn’t changed at all. All we know is that I have to improve if I want to achieve the following goals. It is what is important and that is why last week I trained hard to offer my best tennis in Rotterdam. Right now that is my goal.
–If we consider your victory in Australia and Carlos Alcaraz’s two titles, at the US Open 2022 and Wimbledon 2023, are we at the beginning of a new era?
–It’s difficult to say, because there are many very good players. It is impossible to predict the future because anything can happen and there are young people coming, others who are playing at a high level, we also have Daniil (Medvedev) and Sascha (Zverev). It’s true that Carlos and I are the youngest, along with Holger (Rune). Each one is different in the style of play as well as in the mental aspect. And it is a very good thing, that we are not the same and that each one is different from the other, so the future is going to be interesting.
–Based on your recent victories, do you feel more respect from your rivals?
-Yes of course. I feel like they respect me more, but at the same time it’s different now because they know me much better and they know what my weak points are. I have to be prepared for it and that is why I train myself to react to this situation that is new, everyone already knows how I play. I was a little known there before, but now everyone, or most, will have nothing to lose against me and it is something different from the past because my opponents will play with less pressure.
–Did the competition with Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune make you a better player?
–Yes, although it is not just these two players. There are others with whom you have to fight a little more and find solutions to beat them. I must be prepared to face any rival, and for that I have to be a more complete player. When you lose, defeats also serve to realize that. We have worked a lot in the last few months to improve my game and that is working, but I also know that in the coming months there will be difficult moments.
–You had to grow up with the members of the Big Three on the circuit. How much have they influenced your tennis and who do you feel closest to in the game?
–I think my tennis is similar to Novak (Djokovic). We both play well from the baseline, but we also try to go to the net. The way we slide on the track is also similar. I feel lucky to have met them. Roger (Federer) unfortunately is no longer here, but when the three of them were there, he tried to watch what they did in and out of the gym, and try to learn everything he could from them. I feel lucky to see that Novak and Rafa are still on the tour because they have won more Grand Slam titles than anyone else, it’s great to have them around.
–When you were a boy, you were a ski champion before dedicating yourself completely to tennis. What things from that sport were you able to incorporate?
–Maybe the balance, right? And also the way to slide, to know how to slide to have good balance with the whole body. Afterwards, I think the mentality is completely different, because the fear you feel in a ski competition is different, when you go down the mountain, you know that anything can happen. In tennis it is not so dangerous when you have to lose a point.
–In general terms, many people think that you are going to be a great champion. How do you imagine yourself in 10 years?
–Ugh… It’s hard to say, but I hope I can look back and say that I was able to enjoy every moment. The important thing now is that I have a group of good people behind me, who support me. They are people I can trust and they are important to me. What can happen on the field in the future cannot be known, but it is valuable to have the right people around you, to go along the path together, that’s what it’s all about.
–We know that you are focused on your figure, but when you hear players like Djokovic, Medvedev, or Alcaraz say that there is no doubt that you will win more Grand Slams and probably become number 1 in the world, how does it affect you? Is there more pressure?
–It is good to hear it from these players, because they already know what it means to win big things, but I am clear that it is one thing to say it and another to do it. There is always pressure, but I put the most pressure on myself by trying to win every game. The rest is not something that affects me.
–Once you managed to win your first big tournament, is the next goal to be number 1?
–Yes, but there are still three Grand Slam tournaments left and I would like to do better than last year. At Wimbledon I made the semi-finals and it won’t be easy to improve that, heh. At Roland Garros, I reached the second round and at the US Open I reached the round of 16. One of the goals is to do better in those tournaments. When you feel better physically and mentally it is easier. There are also important tournaments like Indian Wells, Miami, the dirt tour… I am now four in the ranking, and to be number 1 I have to go through number 3 and then number 2, so I go step by step. We’ll see what I can do this year.
–Can you tell us a little about the relationship you share with your coaches, Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi? Was there anything they both said to you, especially during the Australian Open or in the time they shared with you?
–They are great people, they are really kind and very close. From everything Darren has told me, I was left with the phrase: ‘The only thing you are going to take with you when your career ends is the people around you’ and we talked about this in Australia, and it is true, because the victories you achieve They are momentary situations, it is the moment, it is the now, it is positive if you win, and if you lose it is something negative, but it is the moment. Having the right company throughout your career is essential. It’s knowing that when everything is over you are going to call them and they will be with you. Simone is younger and less experienced, but the combination she has with Darren is perfect for me, I feel like I’m very lucky to have them.
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