“If you doubt yourself a little, it’s better to leave”, Goran Ivanisevic breaks down Jannik Sinner’s mistakes against ‘LION’ Novak Djokovic in the title decider of the ATP Finals

Tennis Hall of Famer and Novak Djokovic's coach Goran Ivanisevic raises questions over the attitiude shown by Jannik Sinner during the ATP Finals.

“If you doubt yourself a little, it’s better to leave”, Goran Ivanisevic breaks down Jannik Sinner’s mistakes against ‘LION’ Novak Djokovic in the title decider of the ATP Finals

Goran Ivanisevic, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner (Credits: Tennis Infinity, Reuters)

It was a record-breaking night on Sunday where Novak Djokovic beat Jannik Sinner for the finals of the season-ending tour. It was the perfect script for the Serbian as he clinched his seventh ATP Finals title as well as a sweet revenge. Sinner had earlier beaten Djokovic in the round-robin stage of the tour.

However, things didn’t go as planned as Sinner wanted. Sinner had the advantage of his home turf but that slight advantage was no match for the Serb’s resiliency. The Serb was in full praises for the Italian calling Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz two of the most talented young players going around. However, his coach and Tennis Hall of Famer Goran Ivanisevic has raised questions over Sinner’s mindset in the finals.

YouTube video

In a press conference after the ATP Finals, the Croatian said,

FS Video
"You could see it in his eyes. It's very difficult to beat Novak twice in one week in the same tournament. Today (Sunday) was a completely different, match, completely different. Tactically, Novak didn't play the same way at all as he did on Tuesday. Jannik had a bit of pressure. It's a big final, there are a lot of expectations. If you doubt yourself a little against Novak, it's not good for you. It's better to leave (smile). It's like if you were facing a lion, if you hesitate, you'll get eaten in two seconds. Thank you for coming and goodbye."

Related: Novak Djokovic eyes two additional records for the 2024 season other than the Olympics Gold.

What’s next for Jannik Sinner?

The World No.4 had performed really well throughout the season-ending tournament beating the likes of Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals. Unlike his coach, Djokovic had called out Sinner in a good way. The Serbian even claimed that he would be surprised if the 22-year-old doesn’t win numerous Grand Slams across his career.

Jannik Sinner (Image Via: beIN SPORTS)

However, losing to Nole in the finals doesn’t make his achievements any less. The young Italian has already smashed records at such a young age becoming the first Italian to reach the semifinals of the year-ending tournament. Had Sinner won in the finals against Nole, he would have become the only player after Andy Murray to win the ATP Finals on home turf.

Sinner has racked up some good numbers this season having the most victories after Medvedev and Alcaraz. The Italian is in the squad of his national team for the Davis Cup where he may again face up with Nole if both their nations reach the semifinals. However, there is a lot to do for the 22-year-old in the upcoming season. Sinner has never reached the finals of any major Grand Slams to date which he would like to change.

In case you missed: