Jannik Sinner Holds Novak Djokovic in High Regard as He Writes Off Comparisons With the ‘Best’ With Humility

Sinner is a Winner. The 22-year-old Italian tennis star is currently on a 19-match unbeaten run out of which 16 have come this year itself. Recently, tennis journalist Bastien Fachan drew a comparison between Jannik Sinner’s performance this season to that of Novak Djokovic in the 2011 season. In that year, the Serb had clinched 10 titles including three Grand Slam triumphs. But the question is, can Jannik Sinner extend his winning streak to 41?

Novak Djokovic enjoyed a 43-match winning streak across the 2010 and 2011 seasons. 41 of these had come at the start of his 2011 campaign. But Sinner recently took down any comparison that was drawn towards him with the Serbian during a post-match interview. Instead, he portrayed his high regard for the Serb.

‘Make my story for myself’ – Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner recently clinched a thumping victory over the Czech, Jiri Lehecka at the QF of the BNP Paribas Open. After the match, the Italian attended a press conference in which he was asked if he had witnessed Djokovic’s incredible run in 2011. To this Sinner replied, “No, I was 10 years old (laughter). I was not following tennis, to be honest, because I was skiing much more, I was playing football, so I was not following tennis.”

He added, “I know the stats now, but you cannot compare this with the best, with the Big 3 or Big 4. They are at a different level from what they have shown in the years. I just, you know, make my story for myself. Yeah, that’s it.” Recently Jannik Sinner also marked his 150th hard-court tour-level victory, making him the first player born after 2000 to achieve this incredible feat.

However, that’s not all, ‘The Fox’ has sneaked in 36 victories in his last 38 matches and has won 21 of his last 22 sets. Sinner hasn’t dropped a single set in the Californian desert this year and is now looking forward to clinching his third consecutive title this season.

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But standing in his way is the world number 2, Carlos Alcaraz. Although Jannik Sinner is already the highest-ranked Italian since 1973, a victory against Alcaraz will place him in the second spot on the ATP singles ranking. When asked about his winning streak, Sinner said it’s a result of hard work and self-belief. Let’s now look at that moment when the current no.1 believed in the potential of Sinner.

‘He has the potential to be a top player of the world’ – Novak Djokovic’s statement on Sinner from 2020

In 2020, during an interview, Djokovic heaped praise on the Italian tennis player saying, “(Sinner) definitely possesses a game that is powerful. And is with a lot of quality, and you can say he has the potential to be a top player of the world.” Then, in 2021, they faced each other for the first time in Monte Carlo.

Although Novak Djokovic won the battle in Monte Carlo, he labeled Jannik Sinner as “He’s actually the present of our sport.” The Serbian heaped praise on the professionalism and dedication shown by Sinner for the game.

Currently, Jannik Sinner is breathing down Djokovic’s neck in H2H. Although the Serb leads the H2H with a 4-3 margin. However, his recent loss to the Italian at the SF of 2024 AO made him yet again reflect on the improvement that Jannik Sinner has made in the last few months. Can he come close to Djokovic with a win against Alcaraz in his next match?

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