Sinner on losing in the French Open final: After several sleepless nights

Even for the mentally strong world No. 1 Sinner, it will not be easy to move on from the shadow of the French Open final defeat. However, Sinner said in his latest interview that he is gradually relieving himself of the fact that he wasted three championship points in that clay-court Grand Slam final, which ended in defeat to Alcaraz. Speaking at the pre-match press conference on the grass in Halle, Sinner admitted that the defeat had been painful for him, but he had turned his attention to defending the ATP 500 grass tournament.

Sinner infographic

Asked if he was still regretting the three French Open finals over the past week, Sinner replied in German: "I think about it a lot. It's inevitable. I don't know what the future holds, but I don't think that's the most important thing anymore. I try to forget the negative parts and focus on the challenges in front of me. "

"For me, it's positive to be in another event because every race is a new beginning. I have to be mentally prepared to give it my all on the pitch. So it's great to be in Harley. I did have a few sleepless nights, though, but things are getting better every day. My family and friends have always supported me, and that's what matters most to me. Tennis is important, but family and friends are even more precious. Still, that game comes to mind. "

In order to get out of the gloom of Paris as quickly as possible, Sinner did not take a complicated approach. The 23-year-old has chosen to return home to Italy to spend time with those who know and know him best.

"I relax with my family, barbecue, play table tennis with friends, it's all very common, nothing special. "I like to go home after a busy day and feel at ease there." My friends know my character and my past, and they know me very well. I didn't do much, I was mostly resting, and I only arrived in Halle yesterday. The goal now is to be 100 per cent committed in this event. The first game on grass is always tough, but I'm happy to be here. "

In the coming weeks, Sinner will be hoping to continue his progress on grass in 2024. That journey will begin in Halle, where he won his first grass-court title last year and made his debut after reaching world No. 1 status. This year, he'll face a qualifier in the first round.

'The first training session felt okay, I haven't played since Paris and I wasn't in perfect shape on the pitch, but today it should have been better. Sinner has an 18-2 record in the 2025 season. He added: "A good grass player needs to be flexible. Due to the nature of the grass, the bounce of the ball can be unpredictable, and the serve needs to be smarter. But last year I made a breakthrough in this kind of venue, so let's see how far I can go this year. "

(Compiled by Faye Wong, Photo/Visual China)