‘This defeat helps me grow,’ claims Jannik Sinner on Madrid exit
Jannik Sinner believes that he will only return wiser and stronger following his second round defeat to Alexei Popyrin in Madrid.
It just was not a good day for Jannik Sinner in Madrid as he fell to Australian Alexei Popyrin in straight sets, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, despite leading 5-3 in the opening set.
“I suffer from allergy and here there is a lot of pollen,” Sinner said following the match. “I also play with contact lenses. This bothered me a lot.”
Sinner could be seen coughing throughout the match, but does not put his loss down to his discomfort.
“I suffered more because there was more sun and in the court he entered easily, but I did not lose for this [reason]. He played better than me.
“This defeat helps me to grow, now I go to the court to work to be at the top for the next match. I’ll come back stronger than before.”
A dreamy dropper 😍@AlexeiPopyrin99 #MMOpen pic.twitter.com/tktQIqk6Jy
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 5, 2021
Popyrin came through qualifying to enter the main draw in Madrid and is having a strong 2021 season thus far. The 21-year-old secured a maiden ATP title in Singapore, has a win/loss record of 15-7 including his win over Sinner, and a career-high ranking of world No. 76 heading into Madrid.
Finally, Popyrin’s win meant he claimed the first round of 16 berth at a Masters 1000 of his career, and will face Rafael Nadal next.
(Photo credit Ray Giubilo)
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