On the sidelines of the ATP Finals opening ceremony, Jannik Sinner spoke about facing Novak Djokovic in an interview with Eurosport Italy. He believed playing the 24-time Grand Slam winner in the season-ending event would give him an idea of where he stands as a player. He lavished praise on Djokovic and said he looked forward to squaring off against the icon.
The top eight of men’s tennis were present at the extravagant ceremony in Turin. Pooled together in the Green group, the local lad Sinner will take on Djokovic at least once. The Italian youngster hailed the World No.1 as the best tennis player ever and was eager to cross paths with him (via Tennis365). He said such fixtures are vital, saying he either wins or learns from such matches. The home favourite claimed the clash against the Serb would help him gauge his progress and position.
“You find yourself in front of someone who has won 24 Slams, three out of four this year alone. In terms of results, he is the best that this sport has ever had. I hope to meet him as soon as possible. These are the important matches for my growth (as a player), the ones for which I say: I win or I learn. Djokovic will tell me where I am.”
Jannik Sinner then talked about his previous two matches against Novak Djokovic, both of which were at Wimbledon. He believed he performed better in their 2023 semi-final, despite losing in straight sets than in their 2022 quarter-finals, which was a five-setter. The World No.4 said such high-stakes games are what he practices for.
“I felt closer this year in the semifinals at Wimbledon, despite losing in three sets, then last year in the quarterfinals, when we fought for five. I can’t wait. These are the matches I train for every day, the ones that fill me with pressure.”
This is Sinner’s second time in the ATP Finals. He met with a round-robin elimination in 2021 and will want to do better this time around. Djokovic, meanwhile, is hunting for a record-breaking seventh title at the season-end championships. Both of them will have to power through a talented field to get their desired results.
Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic aiming for contrasting goals amidst an elite ATP Finals pool
Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, along with Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev, locked down their spots in the ATP Finals much before the others. They were then joined by Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Holger Rune, and Alexander Zverev. The eight qualified players have been drawn into two groups of four. The Green group consists of Sinner, Djokovic, Rune, and Tsitsipas. The Red group, meanwhile, comprises Alcaraz, Medvedev, Rublev, and Zverev.
Sinner will kick off proceedings against Tsitsipas on November 12, while Djokovic gets his campaign underway against Rune the next day. The Serb leads the Italian 3-0 in their head-to-head but they have never played each other on hard courts. It may be Djokovic’s favourite surface, but Sinner is no pushover.
The 22-year-old will want to make it out of the round-robin phase and make it to the semi-finals. Djokovic remains a favourite to defend his title and win a record seventh ATP Finals but will be challenged by Sinner and the likes of Alcaraz and Medvedev.
