Jannik Sinner

Press Conference

J. SINNER/A. Zverev

6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Congrats, Jannik. First final here in Indian Wells. Give us your thoughts on the match today.

JANNIK SINNER: Yes, no, it means a lot to me. Third time that I play in semifinals, so I'm very happy to be for the first time in the final. Now we see what's coming tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. We don't know who you'll play yet in the final. If it's Carlos, what about your rivalry with him is the most interesting and exciting part for you?

JANNIK SINNER: I mean, if it's Carlos, you know, we know each other very well. I lost against him the couple of semifinals I played. So it's always a very, very tough but interesting matchup.

You know, I feel like it's, in any case, if you win or if you lose, you go away of a match, and you know where you have to work on.

In the same time, if it's Daniil, you know, it's a very similar scenario, because he has been, in the past, a player who made me improve a lot. You know, I had to change also my game style.

So in any case, whoever is going to be my opponent in the final is going to be a very, very tough match. But, look, the first time I play the final here, it means a lot to me. Good confidence then also for Miami and, you know, to finish the hard court in the best possible way. Then, you know, something new starts with the clay season.

Very focused about tomorrow, and we see how it goes.

Q. Thinking back to those semis that you played against Carlos here, how did those matches, those kind of earlier matches for you guys, feel compared to when you played him more recently? How did preparing for those matches feel differently maybe than now? You see highlights of those semifinals, and you guys look like you're free and loose and throwing lobs up and having fun. It looks very different now. Does it feel like that to you?

JANNIK SINNER: No, I think a very good example is actually this incredible match we played in US Open, you know. You know, you just go on court and play.

Then you arrive at the point where you need to prepare tactically in a different way, but then you need to be ready, also, to see how he's gonna change.

The last couple of, or the last match, you know, he lost, you know, against me. So, you know, he's gonna change also. This is a very interesting thing, and that's exactly why, after the match, you have great feedback.

But it's, again, different surface. The last time we played was indoor. Here is outdoor. The ball is very bouncy. He has a very, very good kick serve, you know. He can play from very far with a lot of spin.

So it is a very different scenario. I believe this is a quite unique court here. We don't see it as much in other tournaments.

But again, look, I will be focused on my side, and then we see how it goes. Most important part is that it's a good match for the people to watch.

Q. Just about Daniil, he's had so many wins already this season. What are you noticing about his game?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, you know, he's back to very, very high level. Very big serve, I feel like. You know, he's returning very well. Very, very deep.

Everyone is trying to be slightly more aggressive. You know, I feel like this is also, you know, Sascha today tried to be more aggressive. He didn't play his best tennis today, I feel like, but everyone is trying to push.

And I think Daniil has found again a good, good balance on court, winning a title in Dubai, coming here, making again great results.

But also last time we played has been quite a while now. So let's see what's coming.

Q. You just talked about the uniqueness of this surface. Can you talk about what is the biggest challenge for you to play in this tournament? What is working well this season?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, I feel like I'm trying to serve a little bit better, and that's, until now, it has worked very well. There are two scenarios. With new balls, it's quite fast, and with used balls it's a little bit slower. It's not as bouncy anymore.

It's quite a position game at some point where you try to stand on court, and I think this is a bit, you know, the main key here on this surface.