BOLZANO. “The season is long but we players can choose which tournaments to play and which not to.” In a press conference on the eve of the China Open, the ATP 500 in Beijing, the reigning champion Jannik Sinner responds remotely to Carlos Alcaraz who had spoken of a calendar that was too long.
“The calendar is busy, there are many tournaments. Of course we have some mandatory events,” he explained. “But we don’t have to play. If you don’t want to play a tournament, you don’t sign up. For example, last year and this year I skipped some tournaments because I wanted to train.”
The second Slam title and the threshold of 11 thousand points passed in the rankings, have not changed one iota the approach to life as a professional athlete of Sinner, who in Beijing a year ago changed gear. In fact, he first defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals, then Daniil Medvedev for the first time in his career in the final. That success, like the following one in Vienna always in the challenge for the title, have given Sinner the last fundamental boost in terms of confidence in facing the top players that has led him to live a record-breaking season this year.
“I always try to improve. No matter what result I have, I always try to understand myself and what to do to improve on and off the court,” he said. “Of course I’m happy to be back on the court in a tournament because I train for it. Even in the training sessions I try to understand what works and what doesn’t, and we understood that there are areas where I need to improve. It’s all part of the process, and I think that’s the most exciting part.”
2024-09-24 18:46:50