Sinner, what a scare: at one point there was nothing left for him to do but wave the white flag in surrender.
If anyone has experienced firsthand how much Jannik Sinner’s shots can hurt, it is undoubtedly Novak Djokovic. The Serb has capitulated before him several times in recent months, reasoning that he has learned to respect him. And maybe even to fear him a little. Because he may be No. 1 in the world, but he knows by now how many dogs on the bone there are, ready to oust him and take his place.
He could meet him again, moreover, in Indian Wells, where the red fox from San Candido is, once again, in pole position for victory. According to Tennis Abstract, the Italian would have a much better chance than the Belgrade native does, but the tournament has yet to get into full swing and it is far too early to venture such predictions. However, Nole does not need the ball of glass, to take note of how much trouble the king of Melbourne, now in the hunt for second place in the Atp rankings under the palm trees of charming California, can give him.
So much so that in the past few hours, before making his Tennis Garden debut, Novak returned to talk about his new, very young friend with unruly red ringlets. Saying something unexpected, in some ways, since it is not usual for Djokovic to lavish so many compliments on his opponents. Is he waving a white flag before his talent?
Sinner is scary: they’ve been waiting for him
What he said gives us a sense of how much he fears him, how aware he is of his progress and ambition, which could potentially affect him specifically
“Sinner is the fittest of them all,” the world No. 1 sentenced, “and in the last 3-4 months he is playing the best tennis. He is someone who in the last 2-3 years has shown so much and we were just waiting to know on which day he would succeed.”
“After so many years,” Djokovic added, “he is the only Italian to win a Grand Slam. Together with him we also have Alcaraz: they are part of a generation that will be an integral part of the sport for the next 10-15 years. Let’s see how it will go, I’m there to face this era: I’m pushing, I’m not as young as them but I’m more selective in those tournaments where I want to play.” But will this “selectivity” be enough to tame the aspirant to the throne?
