Jannik Sinner speaks to the media at the Australian Open
Jannik Sinner ended 2023 as one of the form players on the ATP Tour and now he has revealed why he believes he took the next step forward in his career.
The Italian youngster has been knocking on the door of winning the game’s biggest titles, but he was coming up short in battles against Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev.
All that changed in the final weeks of last season, as he recorded three wins against Medvedev after losing his first six contests against the Russian.
He then beat Novak Djokovic at the ATP Finals and in a dramatic match against the world No 1 at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.
Getting wins against the best players in the game in Grand Slam tournaments is Sinner’s big goal as he prepares to play at the Australian Open and he believes a change of mentality is key to his development.
“For sure mindset is a key point in our sport,” said Sinner. “It gives you a good feeling when you lose so many times and then you win finally because it shows also the progress you’re making as a player.
“Also with Daniil, for example, I lost I think six times in a row, then I figured out that I can win against him if I play some good tennis. So let’s see. I mean, the mental part is really important. You always have to believe in yourself.
“I think that’s maybe the most important for a tennis player.
“At the end of last year, I played really good. I have still the confidence inside me, for sure. In the other way, every season is different. Every tournament is different.
“Honestly, I missed being a little bit out of competition in the last one and a half, two months or so, maybe less. It’s good to be back here, to have a connection with the crowd and everything. Let’s see how it goes.”
Sinner also revealed why he didn’t play in warm-up tournaments before the Australian Open, as he insisted his preparations for the first major of 2024 have gone according to plan.
“For me last year I finished quite late. I played also Davis Cup,” he added.
“I had only one week of stop basically, then we started the off-season. We were there quite early. I wanted to start as soon as possible in one way the off-season. That for me was really important, for me and my body.
“We tried also to figure out if this could be an option for the upcoming years, if this helps for me or not. As I said, I played a couple of matches in Kooyong. They’re not official matches obviously, but you get this match feeling a little bit.
“So let’s see. I mean, we will have all the answers on Sunday, then we see how it goes. But I feel quite confident to be ready for some good tennis.
“I came here quite early actually. Was here one week, more or less. We come here quite early to prepare.
“It’s a good time of the year. Here it’s summer. Back home there is very cold, even though if I like it. But it’s good to be here. I had the chance to play couple of matches in Kooyong. Hopefully I’m prepared.
“At the moment every day is getting a little bit better, the feeling with the court. Yeah, Sunday I kick off. Let’s see how it goes.”