The day before the beginning of the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals, Lorenzo Sonego was the star of a event run by Mizuno, which gathered many fans at their store located on Marcello Soleri, 2 in Turin.
Later in the afternoon, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori also arrived, greeted by the crowd and the warmth of the public. As a good host, Sonego arrived shortly after 10 a.m., signing many autographs and taking selfies with fans. After meeting with the press, Lorenzo stayed for over an hour rallying with a group of children (and even some adults), and conducted an exclusive interview with Ubitennis. Here’s what he shared.
Q: Hi Lorenzo! How’s it going? How would you rate your season?
Lorenzo Sonego: “In the second half, I think it was a very positive season. I’ve made big strides and improvements. I’m trying to invest as much as possible in my future and to step out of my comfort zone.”
Q: What is your comfort zone, and how are you trying to step out of it?
Lorenzo Sonego: “I’m trying to invest a bit more in the people who support me. Before, I focused a bit too much solely on the game; now, I’m also paying more attention to things off the court, like nutrition. I started working on breathing exercises with a program that helps me recover better, and I’m paying more attention in training to doing things the right way.
I work with more people, trying to step out of that comfort zone I had before—just playing, having fun, and only doing things I enjoyed. Instead, I have to do things that might bore me a bit more. We’re going to do our training camp abroad, in Spain, probably at Nadal’s academy. I’m trying to invest a bit more because I want to reach the best I can in my career. That’s the goal.”
Q: How’s it going with Fabio Colangelo? It’s surely part of your arrangement, but how challenging is it to have a coach who doesn’t always travel with you, as he often stays in Milan to commentate for Sky?
Lorenzo Sonego: “He actually follows me a lot, almost every week. Only a few times has he not been there because of work with Sky, since he has that passion. But that’s exactly what I asked him for; he’s been with me a lot this year, and he’ll be able to follow me closely next year too. We have long-term projects. We started this journey together, and I have a lot of faith in him, in his work; I like him as a person, and we get along really well. I like what he says to me on the court, how he handles things off the court, the organization—he does it all very well. I think he’s a capable coach, and I’m trying to make the most of what he has to offer.”
Q. Recently, he also commented on Rublev’s decision to withdraw after playing his first match to come here to Turin. What do you think of that decision? Did it bother you more than usual?
Lorenzo Sonego: “Rublev didn’t act very fairly. There are people who go to tournaments to play and to try to do well, people who want to advance. There were some lucky losers waiting to get in, and he took the spot from a lucky loser; he took away my chance to move forward in the tournament when he already knew he wasn’t going to play. It wasn’t very fair or respectful toward me. Also, his coach had told him he’d be leaving before the match. They already knew they were leaving; he even showed up on court with his suitcases (smiles). It wasn’t a nice thing for us players who maybe put our heart into moving forward in a tournament, while he doesn’t care at all about it.”
Q. What does it mean to you to have an important tournament like the Finals in your city, and how much do you like the fact that it’s a tournament that’s growing more each year, bringing in more people, and that the city revolves around the Finals not just during the tournament days but even before the event?
Lorenzo Sonego: “This week is the best of the year for me. You can feel the tennis atmosphere, my passion, in my city, and it’s wonderful. It’s great to see so many fans, people coming from all over Italy, from all over the world to follow my sport. And they also get to know the city, which in my opinion is very underrated and perhaps not well known abroad. So maybe they get to know something about the city, which is really beautiful. It’s a great week, and I try to enjoy it as much as possible by going to support my colleagues, especially the Italians. Jannik, Vavassori, and Bolelli—it will be exciting for both them and me to see them play. I’ll go every day. And tonight, I’m going to the stadium to watch the derby; I’m hoping for a positive result for Toro. I like the team, I like the coach, but sometimes a bit of luck is needed. Let’s hope today is the day.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: The origional article was written it Italian for Ubitennis.com and has been translated by Giorgia Michela Pizzo.
