Ivan Ljubicic has lauded Jannik Sinner after the 22-year-old ended the year by beating Novak Djokovic multiple times and helping Italy win the Davis Cup. The world No 4 is yet to win a Grand Slam title but made huge strides in the 2023 season, cementing himself as a serious threat to Djokovic’s dominance. And the former coach of Roger Federer believes that Sinner has a “perfect” attitude with nothing left to learn.
Sinner capped off his best season yet by leading Italy to Davis Cup glory for the first time in 47 years. He did so in spectacular fashion, beating Djokovic twice in one day during their semi-final against Italy. The 22-year-old saved match points to defeat the world No 1 in the second singles rubber before he and Lorenzo Sonego downed Djokovic and Miomir Kecmanovic in the doubles.
And it came less than two weeks after Sinner scored his first victory over the 24-time Major champion in the group stage of the ATP Finals. The Italian lost just two matches following the US Open and is one of the most in-form players going into the 2024 season. And his heroics have led Ljubicic to pile the praise on Sinner.
“Jannik is not like [Carlos] Alcaraz. He did not make a jump from No 40 to No 1 in the world, he needed to take small steps. What he has done in the last two months, the confirmation of impressive work that has not stopped, they have brought him a lot closer to his great goal,” Federer’s old mentor told Tuttosport.
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“He needed to live certain experiences to become more and more comfortable along the way. At the end of 2022 I said that I was very sorry that Jannik had not yet played important matches against the best rackets in the world. Now he has nothing more to learn.” Following a run to the final of the ATP Finals where he lost to Djokovic, the 10-time title winner arrived in Malaga a day later to represent Italy in the Davis Cup where he had a perfect turnaround on such a short schedule. His commitment impressed Ljubicic, who reflected on Sinner’s standout season.
The Croat continued: “He started by winning his first Masters 1000, then he beat all the No 1s. He reached the final in Turin and lost it because he was very tired after a very demanding semi-final against [Daniil] Medvedev, but when he left the court, he had all five senses in the Davis Cup and in his team. He has a perfect attitude both on and off the court, he is not afraid at all when it comes to talking about his limits and his experiences.”
Sinner was the only man to defeat Djokovic twice this year and managed to stop the world No 1 from achieving one of his main goals, winning the Davis Cup for Serbia. While he only reached his first Grand Slam semi-final in July, the 22-year-old could now be a big candidate to win Major next season, preventing Djokovic from adding to his record tally.
“I am confident that he can win the ATP Finals first, but having won the Davis Cup allows him to arrive in Australia with a solid candidacy,” Ljubicic said of Sinner’s hopes of winning a Major. “He has already beaten the entire top 10, now we have to see how he manages the moments in a Grand Slam.
“When you have a bad day when you feel the pressure, if you think too much, and he is a very cerebral player, you can be in trouble. He still lacks that final in a Major, but he is surrounded by very competent people. His character is his strength. He never loses his mind and is not satisfied with what he has done.”
Sinner is not expected to play any warm-up tournaments ahead of the Australian Open and instead may only compete in an exhibition match in Kooyong. Even without some extra competition before the first Grand Slam of 2024, the Italian will be among the favourites to lift his biggest trophy yet.
