Novak Djokovic was recently asked about the reigning World No. 1, Jannik Sinner, and he made his feelings clear about the young Italian.
The 37-year-old Serbian is one of the last players from his generation still competing on the ATP Tour, and because of that, it might have been a bit difficult for him to find friends with the new generation of players taking over the sport.
At the end of the day, the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, and Andrey Rublev have known each other since they were kids, and the same applies to Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune.
Players of similar age grow up together, which is why they then find it easier to become friends in their professional careers. The same could be said, for example, for Djokovic and Andy Murray, who became his coach recently.
They have known each other since they were kids, and that showed in their relationship later on. However, Djokovic showed that he can have a good relationship also with this young wave of players.
He often spent time together with Holger Rune and he also has a very good relationship with Carlos Alcaraz. However, for some period, it was not clear what his relationship with Jannik Sinner was like.
Sinner tested positive for a banned substance earlier this year, and Djokovic, known as someone who has 100% control over his body and also someone who isn't afraid to take a stance when he feels like something is not right, didn't really make his feelings known about the Italian escaping any sort of ban.
Many other players on the ATP Tour, such as Nick Kyrgios and Denis Shapovalov, were very vocal about the topic, claiming that the World No. 1 player would deserve a ban.
Djokovic, however, didn't really take any clear position. He stated that the doping saga was not helping tennis, and he also saw inconsistencies in the case, which might have suggested that he was also one of the players who would have found some kind of suspension valid.
However, in a recent interview with Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport, Djokovic showed that he is a big fan of the young Italian and everything that he's been able to do in the past few months.
"I remember Sinner when he was 14 or 15 years old and, even then, we talked about him: you could see that he would have a great career, because he already had the right mentality and the right concentration."
"It doesn't surprise me to see him today at this level, having followed him carefully all these years, observing his way of playing and structuring himself. Also, I like Jannik because he always wants to improve."
Djokovic was also asked what advice he would give to the 23-year-old player, who he holds a tied H2H with (4-4). The 24-time Grand Slam champion explained that it seems like Sinner might not need any advice from him at the moment, given how well he's doing.
"It seems to me that he is doing well even without my advice. However, it is one thing to win the first two Slams and become number one. Another is to remain at these levels for many years. To do this, you first need to surround yourself with a competent team that you can trust."
"Then there is the need for the right balance between professional and personal life. But after all, we are all different in an individual sport. So what works for me is not necessarily good for him."
"It seems to me that Jannik has understood what he needs. The next goal will be to identify the right formula to best invest in his body, to prevent injuries, to stay healthy, motivated and above all passionate about tennis."
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