MUTUA MADRID OPEN

April 24, 2026

Jannik Sinner

Press Conference

J. SINNER/B. Bonzi

6-7, 6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Jannik, well done. How happy are you to get through this difficult first round match here in Madrid?

JANNIK SINNER: Yes, no, happy. I think it was a tough match, a tough opening match. So, try to battle through somehow with very unique conditions here. I'm trying to get used to them. Yeah, I'm happy.

We know that we have to improve, but today the most important part was to win somehow the match, and then we see how it goes the next one.

THE MODERATOR: Some English first.

Q. Beyond the match, just an hour ago, Alcaraz announced that he will not be in Rome and Roland Garros. Do you think his absence will make you a bigger favorite for Rome and Roland Garros?

JANNIK SINNER: No, this I don't know. I think this is not what we should talk about. I think what's most important is to say that, first of all, tennis needs Carlos. Tennis is a much better sport when he's around. For me personally it's nice when he's around. It makes me look also in the draw and seeing the matches in a different way. Even though if I would face Carlos it would always be in the final. With the No. 1 and No. 2 seed, that's the case.

But, yeah, being young, going through difficult moments, it can happen. I do believe he's going to come back stronger than before. But injuries are always tough, especially a wrist. There's certain areas of our body what are very sensitive. The wrist, we saw with also other players in the past, that they can complicate our life.

So I hope he's going to come back and he will not have any further injuries. But I also believe that it's good that he and his team takes the time, you know. If you come back too early, then maybe you have a bigger problem afterwards. We all want that he's competitive for when he's going to come back. In this case now the next goal I guess for him, and I hope so, it's Wimbledon. So I hope he's going to be back there.

And then, whoever is in the draw, it's always a long way in any case, but this is all secondary now. I sent him, yeah, a wish for a speedy recovery, and though it's painful and very sad for all tennis.

Q. A Grand Slam tournament will always be special, obviously, but does it take away from the event if Carlos isn't there, and potentially, if you were to win, would it maybe take something away from that? I realize that this is kind of a hypothetical question.

JANNIK SINNER: No, I think it's not the case to talk about this now. No, we are in Madrid now, and I'll try to go as far as I can here, and then we talk about this in Paris.

Q. What makes the conditions so difficult for you here in Madrid? Is it the altitude, is it the surface, the way the ball moves, or everything?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, some areas are very different. It's a little bit more slippery, the court. It's a bit tougher to move. The ball is flying a little bit more. It's quite fast, depending upon when there is the sun.

I practiced the first day, it was evening, so it's a bit different. When someone is serving very well it's not easy to return. Yeah, it's a very unique playground here. It's very different than Rome and Paris. This is a clay court tournament by itself, I feel like.

But I'm happy to be here, happy to put myself in the position. I also need to improve a couple of things if I want to go further. This performance was good when it counted, not perfect, but you cannot be perfect always.

Q. I want to ask you about yesterday. You premiered the training court in Bernabéu with Bellingham, Courtois, and Nadal. So what was your experience after playing there, and if you are planning to training there during the next days?

JANNIK SINNER: If I'm training there?

Q. Yes, if you plan to train there.

JANNIK SINNER: No, no, no, no. I want to practice here. But yesterday was a very interesting day, I would say. This hour there, it was very, very nice. Seeing a court there in Bernabéu was, it's amazing. For me it was the first time going there in the stadium. Seeing a tennis court there, it was a bit weird, but in the same time quite unique, first time ever.

For me it was nice to get Courtois and Bellingham to know in a personal point of view. They are incredibly humble, and at the top of the game for so many years already, two different players, obviously, and different ages.

Talking about Jude, he's an amazing player and one of my idols. He's in the top of the game already many years, and being this humble, it was something very nice to experience.

Courtois, we had a little bit more time because we left from here together, and talking about different stuff. It was really nice.

And also to see Rafa back, for me was something very special. Yeah, it was very nice afternoon.