On the eve of the Six Kings Slam semi-final, Nole confesses that he recognizes himself in the blue: “He’s thin like me, he hits hard, he does everything very well on a strategic level”
More than a semi-final, a challenge… in the mirror. This is how Novak Djokovic experiences it, the match that at the Six Kings Slam gives away a place in the final, and consequently for the rich prize money that goes to the winner on Arab soil. The Serbian, asked the day before about the player who most resembles him, had no doubts: “Sinner, it’s clear”. That is, the one who is waiting for him tonight, on the other side of the net.
SIMILARITY
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Nole didn’t hesitate when it came to explaining the reasons for the resemblance to Jannik: “He’s thin like me, he hits very hard, he does everything very well on a strategic level and he always manages to be everywhere. He reminds me of me in the best of times.” Statements that go hand in hand with several other certificates of esteem in the past: Nole sees himself in the blue team that has systematically beaten him for almost two years. From that unforgettable match in the 2023 Davis Cup semifinal, when Sinner saved three match points before going on to take the victory. The two also faced each other in Riyadh during last year’s multi-million dollar exhibition tournament: the Italian prevailed in three sets.
REVERSE
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Jannik, for his part, treasures the compliments and reciprocates cordially. In an interview given during the Arab tournament, they asked him which great players he would steal something from to build the perfect tennis player. And Sinner’s sights fell on the Serbian on more than one occasion: “I would take his backhand and his footwork: acceleration, speed, everything.” Djokovic will have appreciated it.
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