“It shows me the level is there and I’m not far away” – Sinner taking the positives out of close losses

The Italian says that playing against the top players is a big challenge, but one that he loves.

Jannik Sinner at the 2023 Barcelona Open Image Credit: Imago / Panoramic

May 4, 2023

Italy’s Jannik Sinner has lost in the second week of the last three Grand Slams in five set encounters – to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, to Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open and to Stefanos Tsitsipas at this year’s Australian Open.

The 21-year-old has said that losing such close matches, especially when being in a leading position (he was up two-sets-to-love against Djokovic and two-sets-to-one against Alcaraz) was heartbreaking. However, he is also taking the positives out of these matches, saying it shows that he is not far away from the game’s best.

“For sure it’s heartbreaking knowing that you were up with the score or could have made some better decisions,” Sinner told Interview Magazine. “But it shows me the level is there and I’m not far away. I feel I’m getting closer every time. I have to be patient, which is the toughest thing to deal with. Last year I was very consistent and made a lot of quarterfinals. This year I hope I can take it a level further.”

“If they don’t go my way, at least I learned something I can use next time” – Sinner

The Italian, who was forced to miss the ongoing Madrid Masters due to injury, said that playing against the top players is a big challenge, but one that he loves.

“When you play against the best in the world, you have the pressure to perform and play your best tennis just to be on their level. That’s a big challenge. But right now I’m ready for that – I know my speed of shots, and I know I’m in shape to play for hours. And I love the challenge. You practice for those kinds of matches. I look forward to them. If they don’t go my way, at least I learned something I can use next time.”

Sinner added that he feels it is exciting to watch other players (outside of the Big 3) winning titles which makes the sport more exciting.

“Everyone can see that the next generation is coming closer. Me, Carlos, (Holger) Rune, Tsitsipas, )Alexander) Zverev, (Daniil) Medvedev. We are all very young. And so many other players are coming. It’s exciting to see others winning tournaments. Everyone is different and has different personalities and ways to play. It’s fun to be part of it,” he said.

Sinner is scheduled to return at the Rome Masters next week and is still on the official entry list for his home event.