At the ATP Finals, local hero Jannik Sinner will meet Novak Djokovic after a successful start on Tuesday (November 14th, 2023). The Italian has form and fans on his side – because of and despite unpopular decisions.
Who thinks Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are the big stars in men’s tennis, could currently be proven wrong in Turin. The Italian city is peppered with advertising ATP Finalswhich, however, does not show the top two in the world rankings, but rather a player who, as a local hero, is something of a professional of the hour: Jannik Sinner.
In October the Italian won the tournaments in Beijing and Vienna, since the US Open At the beginning of September he only lost one match. The hopes for a home win in the “Pala Alpitour“. There, the 20,000 spectators celebrated Sinner at the start when he confidently defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6:4, 6:4. As a reward, there were deafening chants. And now there will be the next Sinner party against Djokovic.
The Italian fans celebrate Jannik Sinner.
Break helped Sinner
The number four in the world rankings belongs to the youngest generation of top players in men’s tennis. Like Alcaraz and Holger Rune, he is seen as the one who will shape the sport over the next few years. “Carlos and Holger are great players and it is a great challenge to play against them week after week“Sinner said to the sports show.”Carlos achieved extraordinary things very early on and Holger brought Boris Becker, a very experienced man, into the team who analyzes our sport well.”
Before the ATP Finals, Sinner deliberately took a break. At the tournament in Paris he reached the round of 16, but then canceled his participation there because he was due to compete again twelve hours later. “That always hurts, but unfortunately it has happened several times this year that the appointments have led to extreme situations. As a top player, you play a lot of tournaments and it is extremely important that you plan well and always include training and recovery phases“Sinner said.
And at least the first game against Tsitsipas proves him right. The local hero seemed fresh and served extremely well. His opponent had none Breakchance – no wonder with 89 percent of points won with the first serve (which came to 71 percent) and an even higher 69 percent with the second service.
Serving giant with great respect for Djokovic
On Tuesday, Sinner will not only face number one, but also probably the best return player in the world. It is rather unlikely that the 22-year-old will be able to use his strong serve against Djokovic, who won against Rune at the start.
But in his current form, Sinner is certainly an opponent who can pose problems for the Serb. Despite the greatest appreciation for the 36-year-old. “What Djokovic is doing is incredibly impressive. He is a legend and his list of achievements is fantastic“Sinner said.
However, if he has his way, this list of tournament victories at the ATP Finals will no longer be any longer. Sinner was already one of the secret favorites in advance and he wants to confirm this status – but without putting a lot of pressure on himself. “Apart from Djokovic, there are hardly any favorites in the finals. The players are the best eight of the season and everyone can beat everyone“Sinner said.”I’m taking the tournament match by match and hope to show my best tennis and delight the Italian audience.”
The serve is Sinner’s greatest strength.
Backhand is compared to Agassi
But Sinner doesn’t just do this with a strong serve. His backhand is considered one of the strongest on the ATP tour and has already been compared to that of the former top player Andre Agassi compared. Also because his former coach Darren Cahill Sinner has been looking after Sinner since 2022 – who has made an enormous leap in performance since then. “There are certain similarities, but the comparison is too exaggerated. Agassi had a higher level“, reassured the Italian.
The two players are not comparable because they play differently. Agassi acted in a very varied manner, with unusual angles, while Sinner’s shots are considered by his opponents to be among the hardest on the tour. “Jannik is lanky and tall, so he has a big wingspan with which he can generate a lot of power” said Cahill the “New York Times” about his 1.88 meter tall protégé.
Above all, the trainer had to work on physically preparing Sinner for the stress. “A few years ago he collapsed in many games. He was a late developer, so we had to make sure his body could handle the tough, weekly demands at this levelt,” Cahill said.
Davis Cup next goal
This also includes, as in Paris in some cases “No” accept. “We made a lot of tough decisions this year not to play some tournaments. That’s the only reason I can say that the longer a game lasts, the more comfortable I feel on the pitch“, Sinner described the resilience he has gained.
Sinner at the opening ceremony of the ATP Finals
These rejections included one that caused him to fall into disgrace in his homeland. In September Sinner decided not to take part in the event Davis Cup – and received great criticism from the domestic media. “This decision was anything but easy for me. I love playing for my country and am a proud Azzurro. But looking back, I am convinced that it was the right decision“Sinner said to the sports show.
After the ATP Finals, he wants to be back in the Davis Cup match against the Netherlands (November 21st to 26th in Spain). “I’m fully planning to do so and I’m really looking forward to traveling to Malaga with my teammates“Said Sinner. First he wants to make his compatriots happy in Turin and then in the Davis Cup.