“Roland Garros is one of my biggest goals”: Jannik Sinner maintains perspective after Mensik defeat in Doha

Jannik Sinner offered a measured assessment after his defeat to Jakub Mensik in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open in Doha, focusing on details rather than excuses. The Italian acknowledged the Czech’s serving performance and pinpointed decisive moments in the third set as key factors in the outcome.

With Indian Wells next on the calendar, Sinner made clear his attention has already shifted to preparation, recovery, and his long-term goals. The world No. 2 does not defend points until the Rome Open—at the beginning of May—so he knows he has chances to return to the top of the rankings if he performs well in the coming months.

However, for Sinner, the ranking takes a back seat when it comes to Grand Slam tournaments. The 24-year-old noted that Roland Garros remains “one of my biggest goals,” signalling that the clay season will define his next phase.

Mensik’s numbers underpinned Sinner’s analysis. The Italian noted that his opponent landed 83 per cent of first serves in the opening set, making it “difficult to return” and limiting opportunities to apply pressure. A tight third set ultimately decided the contest, with Sinner conceding an early break that he described as a pivotal moment.

Despite the setback, Sinner maintained perspective shaped by his recent consistency at the top level. After two standout seasons marked by deep runs at majors and Masters 1000 events, he framed the current phase as a “small down,” stressing that it does not alter his long-term trajectory.

Sinner credited Mensik’s level, particularly in the most pressurised passages. He admitted to making “a couple of mistakes too many” and not being at his “clearest” in certain exchanges, especially early in the deciding set. The break he conceded there proved costly, and he acknowledged he did not serve at his best immediately afterwards.

“In the first set he served very well, almost 90 per cent of first serves in,” the world No. 2 said after the defeat to Mensik. “It was difficult to return and in the third I suffered a tough break. I made a couple of errors too many, but it can happen.”

“I’m a bit sorry about how I handled certain moments, but it can happen. I started badly in the third set, which was maybe the key moment: there I made some mistakes. I took that break and after that I didn’t serve very well. Mensik played a great tie-break; maybe I could have played the 4-3 point better, but it’s easy to talk after the match.”

The Italian emphasised that the broader picture remains positive. He described himself as “calm” and clear about the adjustments required, noting that every player passes through similar stretches over a long season. “I am calm at this moment, I know what I have to do to come back. There are moments I have to go through and that all players have gone through. I hope to make up for it as soon as possible.”

Sinner framed his loss within the context of a demanding calendar and his own ambitions. He stressed that Roland Garros is a major target for 2026, while also noting the importance of Indian Wells and Miami as part of the build-up. The Italian is clear that this is a phase for experimentation and fine-tuning ahead of the clay season.

“One of my biggest goals will be Roland Garros, but that goal is still far away. Indian Wells is usually a tournament where I struggle a bit; we’ll see what happens there, while in Miami I’ve always played well. Then the clay season will start. I’m trying to add a couple of new things; today they didn’t work as well as I would have liked, but not every day is the same.”

He also addressed his physical condition and emotional balance following a demanding start to the year in Australia, where he fell in the semifinals to Novak Djokovic. “I was fine, I didn’t suffer from the humidity. Physically we are working; I had a few problems after Australia, but now I feel quite good again.”

Sinner confirmed minor issues after Melbourne but indicated he now feels “quite good” and sees the upcoming two-week training block as an opportunity to “put fuel in the tank” ahead of the Sunshine Double—and later the clay swing.

“This is a good period for us, we have two weeks in which we can work well and put fuel in the tank for the next tournaments,” the Italian said, who will not return to the court until Indian Wells, which starts on March 4. “I’m trying to find a good balance: in Australia I was a bit under par, in this match I tried to push a bit more, but here too I have to find the balance. In general everything is fine, I’m not making a problem of this moment. It’s all okay.”