Living Italian tennis legend compares Jannik Sinner’s mentality to Pete Sampras
Jannik Sinner has been drawing comparisons with many tennis legends after securing his second Grand Slam title at the US Open.
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Jannik Sinner and Pete Sampras (Via Imago/X)
Italian tennis legend Nicola Pietrangeli has run out of superlatives to describe the tennis level of World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. The 23-year-old made Italy proud by winning his second Grand Slam title at the US Open.
Pietrangeli compared Sinner’s mentality to that of 14-time Grand Slam champion Pete Sampras. He believes Sinner’s ability to withstand criticism after his doping controversy has made him a stronger player.
What can I say, my friend Laver was like that: the more complicated the situation became, the more he managed to get out of it. I understand that the comparison is difficult, Rod remains something inaccessible for now, but Jannik has the mental strength of the greatest champions. And in a way, he also reminds me of Sampras.Nicola Pietrangeli said in an interview with Ubitennis
Sinner has been in the spotlight since testing positive twice for steroids. However, the Italian avoided a potential ban from tennis authorities.
Despite the fact that other athletes, like Simona Halep, were banned for similar cases, Sinner faced a lot of criticism. He set the controversies aside and played his best tennis in New York to win his first US Open title.
Jannik Sinner reshapes fitness team ahead of a busy end to the season
Jannik Sinner has added fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio to his team as he prepares for the Asian swing. The World No.1 shared the news on social media after winning his second major title at the US Open earlier this month.
Panichi and Badio had their first training session with Sinner in Monte Carlo on Monday (September 16). They will accompany him to the ATP 500 event in Beijing, starting on September 26, and the ATP Masters 1000 in Shanghai. Sinner will also continue working with osteopath Andrea Cipolla during these tournaments.
This year, Sinner has an impressive record of 55 wins and only five losses, leading the Tour with six titles. The 23-year-old Italian reached World No. 1 in June and became the first player to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals this season.
Both Panichi and Badio previously worked with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. Panichi worked with the Serbian ace from 2017 until May 2023, while Badio left Djokovic’s team at the end of 2022 after more than five years together.
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Fahad Hamid
(624 Articles Published)