TENNIS: Sinner says arriving early to acclimatise helped Indian Wells title bid

INDIAN WELLS, California – Jannik Sinner claimed his first Indian Wells title on Sunday, crediting careful preparation and early arrival in the Californian desert for helping him handle the heat.

The world number two, who has previously struggled in hot and humid conditions, showed no signs of discomfort during his 7-6(6), 7-6(4) win over Daniil Medvedev, even as temperatures approached 35 degrees Celsius just before the 2 p.m. final.

“It was hot but it wasn't humid, so it makes a difference,” Sinner said. “I arrived a week before the tournament started and trained in similar conditions. We had long practice days, and I felt very well prepared, so the weather and heat didn’t affect me. It's all part of the process to become the best possible athlete. We definitely do a lot of work in the gym to play at this level.”

With this victory, Sinner now has titles at all six ATP Masters 1000 hardcourt events, in addition to the ATP Finals, Australian Open, and U.S. Open on the surface, joining an elite group that includes Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

“I knew this was a tournament I hadn’t won, so I wanted to prepare in the best possible way,” Sinner added. “This achievement means a lot to me. Now I have a couple of days to relax before Miami, another important tournament, where I’ll try to play my best tennis as well.”

-Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters