“I hope Roger, Novak, and Rafa are not listening, but in terms of level, when Sinner and Alcaraz are at their best, there is no way anyone has ever played better tennis,” Mats Wilander said, drawing a bold but controversial comparison between the young champ Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz and the legendary Big 3. While there were many who straightaway denied his statement, others made a few corrections and presented an alternative to this call. As the young Italian propelled team Italy towards a massive win at the Davis Cup, Serena Williams‘ ex-coach dropped a similar take.

Jannik Sinner recently earned high praise from Serena Williams’ former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou for his exceptional performances throughout the season. Currently coaching Naomi Osaka, Mouratoglou called Sinner “Djokovic 2.0” considering his massive skills and rising standards. “His movement, counterpunching is unbelievable,” Mouratoglou told Tennis Majors. “Same qualities as Novak, and I think he added 2.0 because he is playing faster by taking the balls earlier. He is moving up all the time.”

Sinner led Italy to its second straight Davis Cup title on Sunday after defeating the Netherlands 2-0 in the final. He cliched the win by taking down Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (2), 6-2 in the second match. Matteo Berrettini had earlier defeated Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-2 in the opening singles match. The matches were played on an indoor hard court at the Palacio de Deportes in southern Spain, where over 9,000 fans cheered at the top of their lungs. The Italian supporters, armed with drums and megaphones, made their presence known.

This victory made Italy the first nation to win back-to-back Davis Cups since the Czech Republic in 2012-2013. Earlier in the week, Italy’s women’s team also won the Billie Jean King Cup by defeating Slovakia.

Sinner’s performance became the highlight of Italy’s success. He won all four of his matches in Malaga along with a crucial doubles match with Berrettini in the quarterfinals. Sinner fired 15 aces and extended his unbeaten streak in tour-level singles to 14 matches and 26 sets against Griekspoor. This dominant run included winning the ATP Finals and two Grand Slam titles this year, the Australian Open and the U.S. Open.

“We are very happy to be back here holding this trophy,” Sinner said after the final. “It feels like we are in Italy. You have a different pressure and a different weight of having Italy on your shoulders—I think we handled it really well.” However, Mouratoglou isn’t the only one to praise the young champ.

Matteo Berrettini praises Jannik Sinner as the best in the world

Jannik Sinner’s remarkable Davis Cup performance came just days after Rafael Nadal retired at the same venue in Malaga. Sinner quickly shifted focus to lead Italy to victory against the Netherlands and secured a second straight Davis Cup title. His teammate Matteo Berrettini also played a crucial role in the team’s success. Berrettini started the final strong by defeating Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-2 in the opening match. His partnership with Sinner throughout the tournament had commendable chemistry and this made Italy’s triumph even more special and easier.

After the final, Berrettini spoke highly of Sinner, calling him the “best player in the world.” He said, “He just proved that he’s the best player in the world & as you can see, he’s the most humble guy on the planet.” Berrettini praised Sinner’s attitude, saying, “He came here like he didn’t win the ATP Finals and everything that he won, showed so much respect for the team. This is special. This is something you have in your heart.” Berrettini also highlighted Sinner’s off-court qualities, explaining, “The tennis is impressive but the way he manages everything off court & his relationships with people is what makes him special, and why we have two Davis Cup trophies now.” As team Italy currently celebrates the massive win, tennis world is eagerly anticipating what waits for these players in the upcoming season.