"I am watching a lot of training and matches of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic" - Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner admitted to watching training videos and match highlights of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to make up for the fact that he never got to play against their fellow Big-3 member, Roger Federer, before the Swiss' retirement.
Sinner has three losses in three matches against Nadal and two in two against Djokovic. However, the Italian never got to face off against Federer before the 20-time Grand Slam champion hung up his racquet at the Laver Cup last year.
"I would have liked to meet Roger in an official match, and I am very sorry that it has not been like that. Instead I am watching a lot of training and matches of Nadal and Djokovic," Jannik Sinner said to the press at the Halle Open.
Sinner was last in action at the Halle Open, where Federer is a ten-time winner. Despite Wimbledon just being around the corner, the 21-year-old said that he isn't thinking about the grasscourt Major just yet and is simply focusing on the present.
"I haven't thought about it yet; now I live in the present and think about this tournament. We'll talk about the rest once we're in London," Jannik Sinner said.
Jannik Sinner forced to retire with injury in Halle QF
At the 2023 Halle Open, Jannik Sinner beat Richard Gasquet and Lorenzo Sonego in his first two matches - both in three sets. However, against Alexander Bublik in the quarterfinals, the Italian retired with injury midway through the second set, trailing 7-5, 2-0.
Nevertheless, Sinner appeared confident about his prowess on grass, saying that he feels good after his wins over Sonego and Gasquet.
“I have played many hours for these two games, but it is better. I hope that gives me a lot of confidence. Each game is a story in itself. Playing against Sonego is not easy. We know each other well. We already met in Montpellier," Sinner said.
"I tried to make my game, sometimes it worked well and sometimes less. In some service games, the serve worked, and in others, it didn't. But today I knew how to react after the first set that I lost. Now let's see how the next one goes," he added.
Sinner will be in action next at Wimbledon next, where he reached the quarterfinals last year. Notably, he beat Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round before squandering a two-set lead against eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the last eight.