Italian tennis sensation Jannik Sinner attributes the rush of adrenaline from high-pressure competitions to his ability to overcome exhaustion as he secured his first-ever appearance in the Madrid Open championship match.
The 24-year-old athlete has maintained an intense competitive calendar during the previous two months, advancing to late stages across multiple tournaments as the professional circuit transitioned from hard court surfaces to clay court play, capturing championships at Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo.
“I’ve played a lot in the last one and a half months, going very deep in tournaments,” Sinner explained to media following his 6-2 6-4 victory against Arthur Fils during Friday’s Madrid semi-final competition.
“It’s a good sign, of course, and at the same time you tend to get a little bit more tired.
“I think and I believe, when I play big matches, semi-finals, quarter-finals, finals, there’s also a little bit of adrenaline that pushes me.”
A championship win against Alexander Zverev in Madrid this Sunday would secure Sinner’s fifth consecutive Masters 1000 tournament victory dating back to Paris last year and would highlight his impressive performance during the clay court season, with Roland Garros scheduled to begin May 24.
Given that current French Open titleholder Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn due to a wrist injury, the world’s top-ranked player Sinner enters as the primary favorite in Paris, where he could achieve the career Grand Slam after previously winning the Australian Open, U.S. Open and Wimbledon championships.
Currently, though, Sinner’s attention stays centered on Madrid and the upcoming Italian Open in Rome next week.
“I’m of course very happy to play my first final here. It means a lot to me … whatever (happens) on Sunday, it has been a great tournament,” Sinner stated.
“In between here and Rome I’ll try to recover again as much and then we’ll see.”
