What a sleepless night! The French Open final cast too much shadow on Sinner

A lot can happen in the world of tennis in a week. If you don't believe me, just ask Sinner. Last Sunday, the world number one suffered one of the most painful defeats of his career in the longest men's singles final in French Open history – he missed out on three title points and eventually lost to Alcaraz.

But just seven days later, the Italian was rejuvenated and ready to kick off the grass-court season, thanks to his family and friends.

Sinner flew directly from Paris to his hometown of Sexten in South Tyrol to reunite with those who knew him best. "I relax a lot at home, barbecue with my family and play table tennis with my friends. It's just normal, nothing special. "When I've been through a lot, I always like to go home. I feel very relieved to be with my family and friends. They understand what I am now and what I used to be. They knew me very well, so they didn't do anything in particular. ”

It all sounds like a paradise on earth. But the three-time Grand Slam champion also admits that the final and the three title points missed are still unforgettable. "I couldn't sleep well for a few nights after that." "But I feel like I'm getting better every day." My family, my friends, my circle around me are all supporting me. That's the most important thing for me. Outside of tennis, that's a bigger part of my life. ”

The clay season is behind us, and moving to grass is a fresh start for Sinner. He arrived in Halle as the defending champion and was warmly welcomed by the German fans.

"I'm going to try to forget about the negative stuff and see what I can do here. I think it's a positive thing for me to be back because every race is from scratch and you have to be mentally prepared to fight for every point. That's why I'm excited to come back to Halle and see what happens next. "The most important thing now is to get back to 100 per cent for this tournament." The first race on grass is always difficult, but I'm happy to be here. ”

Although he is the world number one, like most players, Sinner finds it a challenge to move quickly between different pitches, but he is ready for it: "The first training session was okay. I haven't played since I came back from Paris, so the overall feeling on the pitch isn't perfect, but I think it's going to get better from today. ”

Sinner's return to Germany is to defend his first title as world No. 1 in 2024. For Sinner, Halle is perhaps the best place to find inner peace. Unlike other ATP tournaments held in Europe, the Tra Wattman Open is held in a small town with a population of about 21,000. The players' hotel is right next to the competition venue and surrounded by peaceful countryside, which is completely different from the hustle and bustle of big cities such as Stuttgart, Berlin or the Queen's Club.

"I think a good grass player is the kind of person who can move a lot. The bouncing of the ball on grass will be a little shaky and you have to play smart. But overall, I think I've made a noticeable improvement on this field in the last year. Now it's up to us to see how we perform this year. Sinner said.

For Sinner personally, it also symbolizes an important milestone in his career: it was his first tournament after becoming world No. 1. "I love this event. It's a bit special because you live right next to the venue, so it's a lot less stressful and you have more freedom to organize your training and schedule. He recalled.

"But for me, something has changed since last year. I'm in a different state. So I can say that I feel at home here. Because the first fight as a world No. 1 is probably the most special fight of your life. That was the first time you've experienced this emotion, and now I'm back here. ”

He also came to Halle again as the world number one. Sinner has been ranked No. 1 in the world for 53 consecutive weeks. The only players who have been able to maintain the first position for 53 weeks after their first summit are Federer, Connors, Hewitt and Djokovic. "It's a great honor to be able to put these names together. But on the other hand, I am who I am, and I make my own history. Sinner added.

"It's certainly an amazing 'peer' and I'm pleasantly surprised to be a part of it. Like I said in Paris, I never thought I'd be in this position one day. It's really amazing. Now that I'm standing here, I'm starting to understand my potential. ”(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)