Jannik Sinner discusses ‘tough to play’ encounter as he reveals vital Madrid Open ‘weapon’
Jannik Sinner admitted it was “tough to play” Lorenzo Sonego despite a comprehensive opening win at the Madrid Open – as the pair are “good friends” off the court.
In the absence of Novak Djokovic, world No 2 Sinner is the top seed in the Spanish capital – the first time he has ever been the No 1 seed at a Masters 1000 event.
Many wondered how Sinner would deal with that status and look physically after appearing injured at the Monte Carlo Masters two weeks ago, though he delivered an ominous performance to start his campaign.
The Australian Open champion barely broke a sweat in a 6-0, 6-3 win over Sonego, hardly putting a foot wrong – while his opponent was unable to find anything close to his best tennis.
But despite the comprehensive manner of his victory, Sinner revealed post-match that the encounter brought about many mental challenges.
He said: “I started off well, very solid, not making many mistakes. He was rushing a little bit so I just tried to stay very calm and solid from the back of the court.
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“These kind of matches are tough to play because we are good friends off the court, we play Davis Cup together, we have a very great relationship together.
“[It’s] even tougher, especially mentally, so I just tried to take away this part as it can happen many times, especially with other players.
“It was a good day for me in the office, let’s see what is coming for me in the next round.”
The Italian is one of the favourites to claim the title in Madrid this week, though has limited experience playing at the Caja Magica.
Sinner has played just twice at the tournament with a best run to the third round in 2022, skipping the event 12 months ago due to injury.
Madrid is widely recognised for the unique challenge it poses due to the slight altitude in the city, making conditions tricky for some.
And Sinner believes he has recognised the one shot that will be key to his chances of success.
He added: “I feel like if you serve well here, it’s a huge weapon.
“I didn’t play here last year so it was two years ago, and in two years I have improved many things.
“I can still improve as here is very different to play, so tomorrow is a good practice day and hopefully, I can get a better feel with the court also, then we’ll see what’s coming.”
