(Adnkronos) – Anticipation is growing for the ATP Finals in Turin, scheduled from 10 to 17 November. In the groups revealed today, Jannik Sinner is certainly one of the favorites for the final victory: “I have good sensations, many things have changed compared to last year, the surface seems slower to me. I feel so much warmth and affection from the people, from Italy. But only one can win in a different tournament: you have to be at 100% straight away and you are always against the top 8 in the world”, said the Italian tennis player on the sidelines of the event at the Nuvola Lavazza, of which Sinner has been a sponsor since he was 140 of the world: “What did they see in me? Someone who likes coffee… It’s important to be a good sportsman but also a good person, who puts values first.”
In his dream 2024 the team played a fundamental role: “Without the team you can’t do anything, especially to overcome the difficult moments, and then you need comparison: on and off the pitch. We are not machines, we are people who try to give their best in every day, I am one of those who invests as much time as possible to be at my best. This year I always managed to stay focused on what I had to do but that doesn’t mean I was fine,” he said, “when I was little the racket sometimes flew. But then you learn from mistakes, you grow, you understand that everyone has days that you are nervous and you have to accept it. The mental part is very important.”
Jannik also spoke about the monstrous prize money, worth 6 million euros, won in Riyadh: “We are creating my Foundation: it is very, very important to help people, animals, families, children.” On attention to physical preparation: “My physique is very balanced, not a lot of muscles. I have to be fast, flexible, when I feel light I can handle the game, but I have to put on a few kilos of muscle: the more you play, the more consumption”. There is no doubt about the shot he has improved the most in the last year: “The serve, I have worked a lot on it in the last two years and I still have room for progress even in the variations and in the game at the net. At 23 you can’t be 100% even mentally, every now and then I make a mistake.”
Sinner’s journey began at Next Gen in Milan in 2019: “Milan was very important for my growth: it made me understand many things. Now the first step in this special tournament which gives me so much pleasure to play among so many excellent players, is to start in the best way possible, the first match, then let’s see if we can do our best.” However, Novak Djokovic will not be there: “Nole is a very important person and player here in Italy, the public wanted to see him, but this is sport, the season is long, there are injuries.”
