Sinner: 'I have to improve if I want to win more'

@Mutua Madrid Open | @atptour

Jannik Sinner arrives at the Mutua Madrid Open as the player to beat. The top seed has won a Tour-leading three titles in 2024 and can move to within 330 points of World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the PIF ATP Rankings if he clinches his third ATP Masters 1000 crown in the Spanish capital.

With expectations growing, Sinner is eager to further show what he is capable of producing.

“I don't want to put pressure on myself. I'm living a very positive moment, winning a lot of matches, I just try to keep going like this,” Sinner said during his pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday. “In my mind, I know that I can and have to improve if I want to win more.

“I am searching for new opportunities and I feel like that every tournament I play, there can be a good opportunity trying to show that my level has raised. Showing what I have improved and that's for sure something that I would like to do here. This is a new opportunity, new tournament and we'll see how it goes.”

Infosys ATP Stats Win Loss Index 2024

The 22-year-old will begin his Madrid campaign against countryman Lorenzo Sonego, who Sinner leads 4-0 in the pair's Lexus ATP Head2Head series or a qualifier. Sinner has struggled to find his best level at the clay-court event in his previous two appearances, falling in the second round in 2021 and the third round in 2022.

However, the 13-time tour-level champion is a different proposition for opponents now compared to two years ago, when he arrived in Madrid at No. 12 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Sinner is hoping he can use his newfound experience to adjust to the high-altitude conditions in the Spanish capital.

“I'm trying to understand my clay game a little bit better. Here is a little bit different than all the other tournaments because we play in altitude,” Sinner said. “The ball is higher. It's flying and it's quite fast, but I used to struggle quite a lot in the previous years finding my level here. So it's going to be interesting to see how I'm going to play this year. I think that's the most important.

“I feel like that I still have to find [my game here]. I have three more days of practise before the opening-round match, which is hopefully going to help me.”

Sinner’s only previous appearance on clay this season came in Monte-Carlo, where he suffered a semi-final defeat to eventual champion Stefanos Tsitsipas. The 22-year-old’s one tour-level title on the surface came in Umag in 2022.

The top seed can also extended his lead in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin with a deep run in Madrid. The Italian, who reached the title match at last year's Nitto ATP Finals, is 1,650 points clear of second-placed Daniil Medvedev.