“I’m very happy with the shape I’m in”: Jannik Sinner confident ahead of Indian Wells return despite early 2026 setbacks

World No. 2 Jannik Sinner returns to Indian Wells aiming to push beyond the semi-final stage for the first time in his career. The Italian has reached the last four in each of the past two editions of the tournament, losing on both occasions to Carlos Alcaraz. As he prepares for another campaign in the California desert, Sinner described the opportunity as “extra motivation.”

Since making his tournament debut in 2021, Sinner has compiled an 11-3 win-loss record at Indian Wells. Despite that consistency, the final remains the one milestone still missing for the Italian at this ATP Masters 1000 event. With five Masters titles already on his résumé, the 24-year-old arrives with both strong credentials and unfinished business.

The Italian enters the event following a shaky start to the 2026 season. Sinner reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open, where he lost to Novak Djokovic — losing the defence of his two titles in Melbourne and a streak of 19 consecutive victories there. A couple of weeks later he returned to action at the ATP 500 Qatar Open but fell in the quarter-finals in Doha to Jakub Mensik. Reflecting on those performances, Sinner acknowledged that the margins were narrow, noting that he was “very close” in both tournaments.

“There were just a couple of moments in each match that I missed a bit,” Sinner said to Super Tennis TV. “But at the same time, I’m very happy to be here and I’m happy with the shape I’m in right now.” With the ATP Tour now entering the first Masters stretch of the year, the Italian believes his game is trending in the right direction.

Indian Wells has long been considered one of the more distinctive hard-court events on the ATP calendar. The surface at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden typically plays slower than other hard courts, with higher bounce and rougher texture influencing rallies and tactical choices. Sinner acknowledged those factors as part of what makes success in the desert particularly demanding.

Despite those challenges, the Italian said the tournament continues to motivate him, especially after two consecutive semi-final exits. “It’s extra motivation. It’s a court that’s slightly different from other courts. Here it’s quite rough and it can get slow at times, but I’m very happy to accept this challenge and I’m very confident that I can have some great results here in the future.”

Preparation for the tournament also required adjustments before arriving in California. Poor weather in Monaco forced Sinner’s team to relocate temporarily, combining intensive training sessions with lighter moments away from the court.

“We came here because the weather in Monaco was not great, so we decided to come here, bring a couple of friends and play some golf. At the same time we practiced very hard — very long days, many hours on the court — so I feel like this helped me a lot, and hopefully I’m ready for a good tournament.”

The four-time Grand Slam champion did not participate in Indian Wells in 2025 because he was serving his three-month suspension period. In that way he does not defend ranking points this year, and a strong campaign could begin to bring him closer to Carlos Alcaraz in the rankings — considering that the Spaniard extended his advantage in recent weeks, currently by more than 3,000 points.

Despite falling short of titles in Melbourne and Doha, Sinner emphasised that his confidence remains intact. The Italian highlighted the broader perspective required during a long season, noting that fluctuations in form and results are part of the process for even the most consistent players.

He also expressed satisfaction with his current physical condition, saying he feels comfortable with the level he has shown so far. With a long calendar ahead, Sinner views the early weeks of the season as a foundation rather than a definitive measure of success. “I played well in Australia. I was very close there, and I was close in Doha too. There were just a couple of moments in each match which I missed a bit. But at the same time I’m very happy to be here and I’m happy with the shape I’m in right now.”

Sinner, who has built one of the strongest hard-court records in men’s tennis, carries a 234-54 career mark on the surface, an 81.3 per cent winning percentage according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. His Masters titles in Toronto, Miami, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris underline his consistency across the tour’s biggest events.

“It’s all part of the process. We all have ups and small downs, but I’m not worried. We are practising very hard. In the past, hard work always brought me success, and I’m working harder now than I was before, so I’m very sure the results will come back.”

Looking ahead, Sinner emphasised patience and perspective. While he hopes to begin a strong run in the California desert, he acknowledged that results cannot always be predicted week by week. “If it’s not here, hopefully I have many years to play on, so I’m quite relaxed. At the same time, I know the season has just started, so it’s going to be a long season.”