Jannik Sinner has been by far the best player this year, reaching the top of the rankings, and winning two Grand Slams.
And Novak Djokovic has now revealed that he always knew the Italian was destined for great things after they met when Sinner was still a teenager.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion piled the praise on the young star as he recalled their first encounter more than eight years ago.
Sinner has enjoyed a dominant season, winning 73 of his 79 matches. The Italian lifted eight titles and helped Italy defend their Davis Cup crown.
The 23-year-old also won both of his matches against Djokovic, shocking the 10-time Australian Open champion in the semi-final back in January. He also downed the Serb in the Shanghai Masters final.
While Djokovic is still keen to prove he can keep up with the top young players, he’s been happy to see Sinner taste success. It’s also not been a surprise to the current world No. 7, who saw his rival’s potential years ago.
“I remember Sinner when he was 14 or 15 years old and, even then, we talked about him,” Djokovic told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“You could see that he would have a great career, because he already had the right mentality and the right concentration.
“It doesn’t surprise me to see him today at this level, having followed him carefully all these years, observing his way of playing and structuring himself. Also, I like Jannik because he always wants to improve.”
While the Olympic champion doesn’t think Sinner needs any advice, he did have some guidance for the two-time Major winner. Djokovic added: “It seems to me that he is doing well even without my advice.
“However, it is one thing to win the first two Slams and become number one. Another is to remain at these levels for many years. To do this, you first need to surround yourself with a competent team that you can trust.
“Then there is the need for the right balance between professional and personal life. But after all, we are all different in an individual sport. So what works for me is not necessarily good for him.
“It seems to me that Jannik has understood what he needs. The next goal will be to identify the right formula to best invest in his body, to prevent injuries, to stay healthy, motivated and above all passionate about tennis.”
Djokovic has followed his own advice recently, making a drastic change to his team and adding someone he can trust. The 37-year-old has been without a coach since parting ways with Goran Ivanisevic in March.
The world No. 7 has now hired old rival Andy Murray as his coach for the off-season and the Australian Open. Djokovic and Murray spent years facing off on the biggest stages but, just four months after retiring, the Brit will step into his former foe’s corner.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk