Jannik Sinner vs Novak Djokovic: Who is the Better Hard Court Player at the Age of 23?

Jannik Sinner cemented his place further as not just the World No.1, but also the best player in the world on hard courts at the moment. On Sunday, Sinner defeated the resurgent Novak Djokovic 7-6, 6-3 in the Shanghai Masters 2024 final to clinch his 6th title on the surface in this season.

Sinner’s run is reminiscent of Djokovic’s rise when he first made a name for himself on hard courts in the late 2000s. In fact, Djokovic himself admitted that Sinner’s game is similar to how he has played over the years. He was quoted as saying in a press conference after the Shanghai final –

“You know, that’s something that reminds me of myself throughout my career, that’s what I’ve done for so many years consistently, you know, playing fast-paced tennis, taking away time from the opponent, kind of suffocating the opponent, if you want, in a certain way.

“That’s what you want, you want your opponents always to feel under pressure from your shots, from your speed, from your presence on the court. So he’s got that, I mean, this year he’s been so consistent, it’s really, really impressive.”

At one point in time, with his US Open win in 2021 and top 10 ranking, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if Daniil Medvedev had overtaken the mantle from Djokovic. However, Sinner has clearly outshone Medvedev as well.

The fact that Sinner has already won two Grand Slams and both on hard courts as well, puts him ahead of Djokovic. But the Serb enjoyed the advantage of starting out at the age of 19. The former World No.1 won his first Masters 1000 title at the same age and his first Grand Slam at 20, being much younger than Sinner to achieve this.

Remarkably, Sinner hasn’t yet won the ATP Finals, despite having played it on home soil last year. In this case too, Djokovic holds the edge over him by winning the maiden year-end championship title at the age of 21.

Undoubtedly, even at 23, Djokovic was always the player to watch out for, on this surface in particular. However, in terms of sheer consistency and dominance, Sinner could be considered far better, who has raised the level of being a specialist on it.

When it comes to their next assignments, Sinner is set to play in the Paris Masters ATP 1000 tournament, followed by the ATP Finals. Meanwhile, Djokovic is set to have played his last tournament of 2024 unless he qualifies directly into the ATP Finals this year as well.