Jannik Sinner says his first round win at the Australian Open wasn’t easy for him despite coming through in straight sets.
The Italian fourth seed beat Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 7-5, 6-3, in what was his first competitive match of the 2024 season. Sinner broke his rival five times during their clash and only dropped serve once. He also hit 26 winners and won 69% of his first service points to record his 130th Tour-level win on a hard court.
“It was good for me to get out there,” said Sinner. “I won in straight sets, but it was not that easy.”
“He (Zandschulp) played well. He served well. But I managed somehow to get the breaks in important moments.’
“I’m happy to be back on court to compete, and that’s what I love to do. So it was a nice feeling.”
Sunday’s victory marked Sinner’s return to action after opting not to play in any of the warm-up events leading into the Grand Slam. He will be hoping to continue the surge in form he generated at the end of last year where he finished runner-up at the Tour Finals in Turin before guiding his country to victory in the Davis Cup.
Inevitably there was some rust from the 22-year-old in his clash against Zandschuld which was highlighted by his unforced error count of 37. However, he is largely satisfied with his performance.
“I feel like I started off really well for the first match,” Sinner evaluated.
“Then I had some moments where I made a couple of wrong choices, but this can happen. Even if you play some matches this can happen.’
“It was a positive opening match. I feel like best-of-five can help me a little bit. You stay on the court a little bit longer. You get to play a little bit longer, which is what I like to do.”
Watching him from the sidelines at Melbourne Park was The Carota Boys who travel the world following Sinner and have gained in popularity in the sport with an Instagram following of more than 74,000. They are known for wearing carrot outfits which were inspired by Sinner once eating a the vegtable during a match.
“I was not expecting them to come here, but it’s nice to see them in the stands. We have made some great memories together with all the support they give me,” he said of his fanbase.
“They are getting more famous than I am.”
So could the Carota Boys play a pivotal role in Sinner’s quest for a maiden Grand Slam title?
“It’s nice to have them. I want to win as many matches as possible, but maybe this support gives me in the key moments this extra belief. Who knows? Let’s see how it goes here.” He commented.
