World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has highlighted the significant impact of Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic on his tennis evolution. Sinner revealed that Medvedev forced him to develop a serve-and-volley strategy to counter the Russian, a skill he hadn’t previously used. The two have shared an intense rivalry, with Medvedev winning their first six encounters before Sinner reversed the tide, now leading 8-7.
“Medvedev made me grow a lot,” Sinner told Esquire Australia. “He pushed me to practise serve-and-volley to beat him. In tennis, you learn from your opponents, asking yourself how to get into their heads.”
Sinner also credited Djokovic for teaching him through losses. “Losing often to Djokovic taught me a lot. It’s good for you; it wakes you up,” he said, emphasizing that frequent matches in tennis provide opportunities to improve after setbacks.
The two-time Grand Slam champion continues to evolve, using lessons from these elite rivals to refine his game.
Novak Djokovic in 2024
Now the world no.7, Novak played his last match on the 13th of October when he was overcome by world no.1 Jannik Sinner 7-6(4) 6-3 in the final in Shanghai (draw).
This season the Serbian has a composed 37-9 match record. Djokovic conquered 1 title in Paris. The Serbian was the finalist in Wimbledon and Shanghai.
Jannik Sinner in 2024
Now ranked no.1, the Italian played his last match on the 24th
of November when he overcame world no.40 Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(2) 6-2 in the Rubber 2 of the Davis Cup (draw).At the moment, during this season Sinner has achieved an overall 73-6 win-loss record. Jannik clinched 8 titles in 2024 at the Australian Open, Rotterdam, Miami, Halle, Cincinnati, U.S. Open, Shanghai and the Nitto ATP Finals. Sinner got to the final in Beijing.
Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner fought against each other 8 times. Their head to head is 4-4. Before, the last time they played, Jannik Sinner won 7-6(4) 6-3 in the final in Shanghai (Shanghai Rolex Masters) on the 13th of October 2024.
You can watch the highlights in the following video.
Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner |
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