During Jannik Sinner’s first practice session in Vienna early Monday afternoon at the Marx Halle, the second match location of the Erste Bank Open was buzzing with fans. After two hours of intense training, the Italian crowd favorite delighted his supporters by signing countless autographs and posing for selfies.
Following his practice, the 2023 Vienna champion moved on to the Stadthalle, where a packed media schedule awaited. No fewer than six TV stations conducted interviews with Sinner, additional social media content was produced with the four-time Grand Slam champion, and he also took time for an extensive press conference with the attending journalists.
Sinner made no secret of how much the Erste Bank Open means to him. “I have many positive memories of this tournament – it helped me years ago with wild cards and it’s where I lifted the trophy two years ago. I feel good physically and mentally, and I’ll try to play my best tennis here. I’m ready to go and hope for a great week,” said Sinner, who is joined in Vienna by his parents.
He also emphasized his close connection to Austria’s capital. “The tournament isn’t far from home – it’s only about six hours by car. Vienna is a beautiful event to finish the season, also for my family. The crowd really helps when you’re tired or when things don’t go your way. Hopefully, the atmosphere will be just as great as in the past years.”
Sinner also explained why he will not be competing for Italy in the Davis Cup Final 8 against Austria in Bologna. “That was a team decision – we agreed that it would be better to have an extra week to prepare for the next season.”
He further expressed confidence in Austrian top talent Lilli Tagger. “She has the complete package to make it to the top of the game.”
Later in the day, Sinner joined tournament ambassador Thomas Muster for “Tom’s Talk”, offering fans exclusive insights into his remarkable tennis journey. He then rounded off the day in traditional fashion – with the players’ dinner at Plachutta in Wollzeile.#
All picturres: e|motion/Stefan Strasser
Bild: e|motion/Bildagentur Zolles KG
