After five hours and 26 minutes of brutal hitting, Jannik Sinner’s European clay swing came to an end on Thursday when he fell in five sets against Daniel Altmaier at Roland Garros.
Sinner was disappointed with his second-round defeat but was keen to focus on the bigger picture.
“I had my opportunities. I couldn't find a right way how to win the points,” said Sinner, who squandered two match points in the fourth set. “I was a little bit unfortunate at some points. But this is the sport. I will come back stronger.
“I knew it was a tough last two tournaments. I put a little bit too much expectations or pressure [on myself], it's part of the game. I feel like the season is going good. I played a lot of matches… It is a tough one to swallow, but I [will] keep going.”
Sinner leaves Roland Garros holding an 8-3 record on clay in 2023. The eighth seed advanced to the semi-finals in Monte-Carlo but struggled to find his best level in Paris and Rome, where he lost in the fourth round.
The Italian withdrew from Barcelona last month due to injury, but insisted physical issues did not play an impact on his early exit in Paris.
“I felt very prepared for here. Mentally I felt good. Physically we were working hard,” Sinner said. “Long, long practice sessions. It's tough when you work so hard and you don't take the reward. But this is not a sprint. This sport is a marathon. I will keep going with the hard work, and I will also get my rewards. This was, it's a tough one, yes, but it doesn't end here."
Sinner heads to the grass fifth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, holding a 29-8 record on the season. The Italian, who reached the Miami final, admitted qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals is a key goal of his.
“This year we set a goal to go to Turin,” Sinner said. “Also, a little bit you have to watch out for the results, but I also feel like I have lots of things where I can improve still.”
