Jannik Sinner on Adjustments, Statue in China, and Schedule Debate

Before his China Open campaign started, Sinner provided an update on the changes he has made to his game in the wake of his U.S. Open final loss to Carlos Alcaraz.

"We reflected a lot on that final against Alcaraz in New York. We are working on new things. We are changing many small details. The number of errors at the moment is certainly a bit higher, but I hope it will decrease. It's only a matter of time," explained Sinner in his press conference.

"I don't know how much I'll be able to put the changes into practice on the court, because training is one thing, a match is another. We'll see. I'm very motivated. It's fantastic to work on something new, then we'll see how it goes. We always try to move forward. One step forward is always better than two steps back."

Schedule Debate

Over the past week, a familiar debate has flared up among ATP and WTA players. Iga Swiatek resumed her campaign for a shortened season, which Carlos Alcaraz concurred.

However, Qinwen Zheng strongly opposed any changes. Sinner was asked about the issue and took a neutral stance. "I don't want to criticize anything. For me, everyone thinks in different ways," said Sinner.

"We can still choose, as players, you just have to understand what a priority is for ourselves. I always made choices, even last year, you know? Sometimes jumping some tournaments, but the schedule is what it is, you know? If you want to play tournament, you have to play tournament; if not, you make another choice to rest or... practice, you know? That's it, so, yeah, it is what it is."

Terracotta Warrior Statue

Sinner, the defending champion of the Shanghai Masters, was honored with his own terracotta warrior statue. When asked about it during an interview with Tennis TV, Sinner was clearly flattered by the statue.

"It's very strange to see for me. I am just 24 years old, and seeing a statue of one of the biggest events we play, and it's very, also... Like, I would have never thought to see it, you know, a statue of mine here at this court, so it's more like a mix of happy and proud to say that I have a statue here."

Sinner also revealed that it was supposed to be a surprise, but a prior interviewer told him about the statue. "It should have been a surprise, now you, it was not you, it was another interview before you. Which the surprise is gone, it's fine. But it's all good."

Sinner is currently 42-5 with three singles titles this year. With Carlos Alcaraz not competing in the Shanghai Masters, Sinner has a clear path to victory. He faces Daniel Altmaier on Saturday, October 4.

The Shanghai Masters runs through October 12.