“I think it’s in the top” – Sinner describes Djokovic win as among the most special of his career
The Italian has won his round-robin group matches this week and next takes on Holger Rune on Thursday
Jannik Sinner at the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin
In three previous matches, Jannik Sinner had never been able to beat Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam winner who clinched the year-end No 1 ranking for a record-extending eighth time after his first group win this week. On Tuesday, playing in front of his home crowd in Turin at the ATP Finals, the Italian snapped the Serb’s 19-match winning streak after a tantalising three-set win and later described it as one of the biggest wins of his career.
Sinner, who has now won 15 of his last 16 matches on the tour, including wins over six top 10 players, was clearly aware of the context and the meaning of his victory. “Putting together all circumstances, playing here in Turin against the No. 1 in the world, he won 24 Grand Slams, with such an atmosphere and everything, I think it’s in the top, top (wins), no?” the 22-year-old Italian said. “Obviously, as I said before, even if I would have lost today, the match was really good. Also, for my mind was really important to go close this match so in my mind I know I can really try to win against him for the future matches also. I think it’s in the top, so…”
“It’s a huge privilege for me to play here in Turin – Sinner relishing playing in front of home fans
Sinner’s win puts him in a good position to qualify for the semi-finals in Turin (he leads the group with a 2-0 record currently), a prospect that would delight the Italian fans who have cheered on their local hero whole-heartedly this week.
“Obviously the atmosphere is amazing, no? They helped me a lot. As I said the first day, it’s a huge privilege for me to play here in Turin. I was expecting a really tough match. With the crowd and everything, they are trying to really help me. I’m obviously very happy how I tried to put everything in the right direction. When the match is like this, obviously even if it’s not an Italian playing here in Italy, it’s a good atmosphere when it’s an Italian playing and the match goes like this. It’s really tight points. It’s obviously really amazing. I’m happy to be part of this atmosphere.”
While some of his peers may appear exhausted at the tail end of a long year, Sinner says he is still fresh for the final stretch of the season after some smart scheduling decisions.
“My process, especially this year, was a good process because we practiced a lot also during tournaments. We didn’t play a couple tournaments to practice, to get better physically. This for me, in my way and everything, helped me a lot to also come end of the season quite fresh, not only physically but also mentally, ready to play,” said Sinner, who plays Holger Rune in his final group match on Thursday.
