Former Top 10 ATP player Matteo Berrettini has many great things to say about compatriot Jannik Sinner, as he praised his work ethic as something that separates him from others.
Sinner is known as a very hard worker, and that hasn't changed for most of his career. Even when he wasn't improving as much as a player, the Italian was still working hard, fully dedicated to the process, knowing that, eventually, it would work out.
This year has been that year, as Sinner opened it with his first major. He added a couple of trophies in recent months, becoming World No. 1 in the process. Just recently, at the US Open, the Italian added a second major trophy, and it's been a superb year for him.
It's the type of year people expected him to have sooner, but his career was one of steady progress. When he finally took off in a major, it didn't really surprise him, and he handled the moment very well.
Seeing that impressed fellow Italian Berrettini, who has praised Sinner in the past. For much of the past five years, Berrettini was the top player from his country, but he's been overtaken by Sinner now.
It's only natural because Sinner is younger, but he's also been quite a bit luckier with injuries so far compared to Berrettini, who admires Sinner's work ethic so much that he'd like to 'steal it.' It's a quality of the greatest, as Berrettini explained after his compatriot won the US Open trophy.
"There are many things I would steal from Jannik. One above all, dedication to work, the ability to always want to improve. He arrived in the elite of tennis at a very young age and never wanted to stop, and if you hear him speak he is always looking to the future, this is a quality that the greats have."
It basically ensures that Sinner will never be satisfied as a player, which should work out well for him when it comes to his tennis career. He will keep pushing to become better and better, and the more he can push, the more likely he is to improve and win even more.
Sinner is fairly young at 23, so there is a great chance for him to become a double-digit Grand Slam winner. That sort of legacy would make him one of the best players in history, but to get there, he will have to work even more.
According to Berrettini, Sinner's approach is a bit innate and a bit learned. He knows the fellow Italian well, having spent time with him up close.
"That type of approach is a bit innate and a bit of work; therefore, I am trying to do the same, to continue to push, continue to find goals, feel important stimuli. It is not just about rankings or tournaments, but the joy of improving yourself."
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