Novak Djokovic used to give Jannik Sinner tips on how to improve as the Italian confirmed that he implemented them.
Sinner was known as a highly-skilled talent long before he broke out on the ATP Tour. Many of the professionals were aware of him, as was Djokovic, who gave him some tips when he was a teenager.
A few years ago, when Sinner was still a teenager, the Italian practiced with the Serbian in Monaco. Both of them would end up calling the Principality home for a time, so it was easy to set up.
The practice concluded with Djokovic giving Sinner some tips about his game, and he's implemented some of them since then, confirming it after his win over the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2024 Australian Open.
"Yeah, this story is true. I had the chance when I was younger, 16 or 17, to practice with him in Monaco. And I think already there the process of trying to learn from the best players in the world started and then obviously, the match is different."
The result is that he became one of the best players in the world and became the first man to beat Djokovic in Melbourne in six years. Looking back, Djokovic might now regret doing that, but he's always been very helpful to young players.
He cherishes it, as there are many examples of him interacting with all sorts of talents from both the ATP and WTA Tours.
"He tried to be a little… He told me after the match to try and move the ball a little bit more, being a little bit unpredictable. So yeah, we are trying to do that obviously."
"The serve has improved a lot but still I have the feeling that I can still improve a lot and that's why I have a great team behind me and we'll keep pushing."
0 Comments