Djokovic talks about Sinner's resemblance to his playing style
The Serbian acknowledges that there are similarities between the Italian's play and movement on the court and his own.
It is not uncommon for people to say that Jannik Sinner is willing to follow the same path that Novak Djokovic has taken in the world of tennis. In fact, there are certain similarities between the two, not only in the way they play but also in how they have approached this sport and their careers. Nole himself acknowledges this in his latest interview.
Taking advantage of Novak promoting his recent documentary, which will premiere on Prime on August 20, he spoke to Corriere della Sera, where he shared details about his rivalry with Sinner and recounted that anecdote about when he gave advice to Cahill, after defeating him a couple of years ago at Wimbledon, helping to shape the player that Sinner is today.
Similarities between Djokovic and Sinner
“There are many common points, although each human being is unique and special. We both come from the mountains: he from South Tyrol and I from Serbia. We both initially chose skiing as our sport, left home at 13, and had to grow up very quickly, far from our families and loved ones.”
“There is no doubt that skiing provided us with elasticity, movements, and the ability to glide over any surface: the flexibility of the ankles is born from the snow as much as the balance and coordination between the upper and lower limbs. And I won't delve into more technical issues regarding the type of tennis that Jannik and I play. There are many similarities there too. So, to answer you briefly: yes, I see myself reflected in Sinner.”
The “obsession” Sinner seems to have to be the best tennis player of all time
“I wouldn't call it obsession, but rather a constant and absolute dedication to tennis. I observe his dedication and see myself completely reflected in it. The desire to improve, to grow, to evolve in all aspects. Jannik, like me, never settles. He has a champion's mentality and has always had it. It is a dominant force, and yet, he wakes up every morning with the desire to be better than he was the day before.”
“And believe me, there is no victory that can satisfy that hunger, not even 24 Grand Slam titles. Beyond tennis, it is the character trait that brings me closest to Sinner. Tennis is an individual sport. There are no substitutions, you can't stop for five minutes next to the court while the game continues, and you have no teammates to help you. You are alone with yourself. If you have a bad day, you are out. Tennis is ruthless, brutal. Sometimes they tell me: ‘Nole, you are like Leo Messi…’. I wish! At 39, I would love to only have to play 90 minutes.”
If he regrets having helped Cahill improve Sinner
“Why would I regret? At that moment, I couldn't stop being true to myself, regardless of what was at stake. That's just who I am.”
Sinner, for a couple of seasons now, has been interested in Nole's habits and routines, to adapt them to himself. In a statement, Bublik hinted that one day Jannik asked him what Djokovic had told him when they were talking about the characteristics of the Serbian's racket, so that he could replicate them in his own, of the same range as Novak's.
In short, Sinner wants to resemble Djokovic as much as possible, and he is not a bad mirror to look into. Djokovic has no qualms about acknowledging that he helped him at that moment and that he does not regret it. Whether one remembers the other on the court or plays similarly is up to the viewer's discretion. What is clear is that Jannik is as methodical and focused as Nole.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Djokovic habla sobre el parecido de Sinner con su juego