These are difficult and complicated weeks that Jannik Sinner is facing. Off the field, the world number 1 is in the spotlight due to the anti-doping issue, nevertheless – when he takes the field – the South Tyrolean continues to win match after match, confirming in all respects that he deserves the position in the ranking.
Today Sinner reached the semi-final of the ATP in Beijing after beating Lehecka 6-2 7-6(6), crossing the finish line of 10 semi-finals won in 2024. At the end of the match, the world number 1 intervened in press conference.
Q: You won the first set 6-2 and the second in a tie-break. Can you give us your thoughts on today’s performance?
Sinner: “Yes, I started the match very well and I was very confident. I had many chances at the beginning of the second set but I wasn’t able to take advantage of them during the whole set. He’s a very tough player to play against. When he serves, he does it very well, he hits the ball very hard. I tried to stay mentally in the match. I’m happy to have won in straight sets and above all to be back in the semi-finals here“.
Q: Today in the second set your opponent continued to beat you when he came to the net, winning 7 out of 8 shots. What do you think about episodes like this during the match? How do you plan to prepare yourself moving forward?
Sinner: “Yes, he is definitely a very aggressive player. They are very difficult balls to control. I certainly could have done a little betterespecially in the 6-5 of the second set. I had a couple of fairly easy forehands when he was at the net. I didn’t take advantage of the opportunities. When you don’t use them, you risk losing the set. I don’t think about it during the match but I will definitely work on it“.
Q: We spoke with Carlos yesterday, I don’t know if you saw his comments. He said some very nice things. He said he couldn’t believe how you managed to stay so focused and play so well over the last few weeks, taking into account the off-court attention you received. How have you managed to stay focused and continue to play so well despite all the other things happening off the pitch?
Sinner: “First of all, it’s not a situation I like to be in. It is a very delicate and difficult situation. But what I do know is that I always try to remind myself that I haven’t done anything wrong. I certainly had many sleepless nights during this time. Obviously I’m disappointed to find myself in this situation again. I try to stay focused on my work and try to do everything I can to be ready for every game I play. But yes, this It’s a difficult time for me and also for my team. I also keep people close to me with whom I feel very comfortable, people who know me personally. So yeah, it’s definitely not easy“.