“Sometimes playing a tournament helps, sometimes it doesn’t”: Jannik Sinner explains skipping warm-ups before Australian Open

Jannik Sinner spoke to the media ahead of the start of his Australian Open title defence. The two-time defending champion will compete this year as the second seed and will attempt to claim a historic third consecutive crown in Melbourne — a feat previously achieved only by Novak Djokovic.

The Italian has been out of competition, without playing tournaments in the two weeks prior to the Australian Open. Alongside Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, he was among the only top players to arrive in Melbourne without a warm-up event. Nevertheless, Sinner did face Alcaraz a few days earlier in an exhibition match in Korea.

“Every exhibition is so different. You don’t really have this full match feeling. You’re not as nervous or tight before these kinds of matches — it’s completely different,” the two-time Australian Open defending champion said in press conference. “On the other hand, it’s good to play again in front of a crowd, which gives you a nice feeling. But it was a pretty relaxed occasion.”

The 24-year-old was defeated in straight sets by Alcaraz, 7–5, 7–6(6), although the match does not count toward the official records. Sinner opted not to play official tournaments in the lead-up to the Australian Open — a formula that has already delivered results in the previous two editions, when he lifted the title after starting his season directly in Melbourne. “In the past couple of years, I haven’t played any official matches before coming here, simply because I wanted to have a good off-season and get ready properly for the season,” the Italian stated.

This Friday, Sinner will play an exhibition match against Felix Auger-Aliassime as part of Australian Open Fan Week — similar to the appearances already made by Carlos Alcaraz against Alex de Minaur, and Novak Djokovic against Frances Tiafoe. “Today I have one practice match with Felix, which helps a bit to get that match feeling back. The result doesn’t matter today,” Sinner commented. “Sometimes playing a tournament before can help you, but sometimes it doesn’t, because every situation — especially in a Grand Slam — is different. So let’s see what’s coming.”

Sinner was focused during the off-season on making adjustments to his game that would allow him to keep raising his level in 2026. After a remarkable season, the Italian was nearly unbeatable against most opponents — although he suffered repeated defeats against Alcaraz, including the finals of Roland Garros (where he squandered match points) and the US Open.

When asked whether the changes were specifically aimed at finding solutions against Alcaraz, Sinner was clear. “No, it’s not only for one specific player. If you add something to your game, the aim is to become a better tennis player — it’s not about beating one guy,” Sinner added. “It’s about feeling comfortable in every situation. That’s what we tried to do in the off-season."

"We worked a lot physically as well. The physical part is so important now because matches can be very long but also very intense. Tennis is very fast, so you have to stay at the top physical level for as long as possible.”

Their most recent official ATP meeting came at the ATP Finals in mid-November, where Sinner took revenge for the US Open final with a 7–6(4), 7–5 victory. In total, Alcaraz and Sinner faced each other six times in 2025 — all in finals — with four wins for the Spaniard and two for the Italian.

Another topic addressed by Sinner was the suspension he faced in 2025 following his doping controversy. The four-time Grand Slam champion resolved the case by accepting a three-month suspension, served between February and May 2025, thus avoiding a trial that could have sidelined him for one to two years.

“Last year was definitely a much more difficult situation. At this moment last year, I didn’t know exactly what was going to happen. I tried to still enjoy going out on court, but you always had it in your head. It was difficult,” Sinner recalled. “Now it’s tough to say, because I know the ending. I knew what was coming, but at the same time it was difficult — not only for me, but also for my family.”

“After that, I think everything happens for a reason. It made me stronger as a person. It doesn’t take anything away from the player, but I’ve become more mature because I now see things differently when they’re not going in the right direction.”

“I surrounded myself with really good people, and I’m very happy with the people I have. That’s the most important thing for me. Whatever happens on court, result-wise, is a bonus,” the world No. 2 added. “I live the sport in a very different way now — more relaxed, but still giving everything I have. It’s a balance of everything. So yeah, I’m very happy.”