In Shanghai, the Italian reached his 14th quarterfinal, a number that can only be explained by the work and solidity on and off the court. How does Jannik handle it?
Jannik Sinner continues to be the great standard-bearer of consistency and solidity week after week within the ATP circuit. It won’t be any different at the 2024 ATP Shanghai, where he dispelled past ghosts and avenged his defeat against Ben Shelton in 2023. This marks the 14th presence of the Italian in the quarterfinals of an event, stratospheric figures that have propelled him to the top of the ATP ranking. Jannik talked about the secret to achieving such consistency and how he maintains freshness physically and mentally in an interesting press conference… before facing, once again, a challenge named Daniil Medvedev.
– Revenge after his loss on this same stage against Shelton: what does that say about his evolution as a player?
“It’s clear that we can’t just consider one match, right? Moreover, today’s match was also very tough. He had opportunities in both the first and second sets: if I hadn’t played those points well, he would have won in two sets because he was serving really, really well. I’m happy with how I handled the situation; the position I’ve been in over the last year and where I am now is completely different, but I’m happy to be here. The process never stops; you always have to keep working and improving, there’s no other way.”
– The only player this year to reach the quarterfinals in every tournament, totaling 14
“Yes, it’s about maintaining that consistency, being ready every day, accepting every challenge that comes your way. At any moment you will face very, very tough moments on the court, and you have to be mentally ready to fight against them, that’s what I do. It’s clear that making the quarterfinals in every event is not easy, but that’s when the tournament becomes more interesting (laughs); no, I’m happy to be among the top eight, we’ll see now.”
– How do you stay fresh physically and mentally after having played so many matches this year?
“It’s something I work on and prepare for. In past seasons, I struggled a lot to stay fresh towards the end of the year. I think my training and recovery program throughout the year have been very, very good. I’ve also worked a lot off the court, trying to be ready for each match. Every tennis player has ups and downs physically; having them is normal, there’s nothing else.”
– Things to do off the court to unwind
“I don’t have much free time at the moment, but usually off the court, I try to rest and then prepare for the upcoming days. Sometimes I do see the city I’m in or go out for dinner, which also relaxes me and is very important. Here in Shanghai, I haven’t had time to do it because I came from a very tough week in Beijing, I was tired, so this time I spent more time in the room trying to sleep and recover well. I’ve seen a bit of the city, but only from the Center to where our hotel is.”
– Next challenge: Daniil Medvedev
“A very tough match, for sure. We know each other very well, so we more or less know what to expect from the opponent. It’s clear that he will change a couple of things, I will also, we’ll see how it goes. It’s going to be a very tough match, very physical, very mental, and also very tactical.”
