Novak Djokovic thinks Jannik Sinner is the “next top player”

Novak Djokovic has almost certainly consolidated his number 1 ranking on tour for the 6th time in his career with his win over Borna Coric at the 2020 Vienna Open. He has now also overtaken Rafael Nadal to be dubbed as the oldest player to ever hold the year-end world number one ranking.

However, the eternal question remains: Who will replace the glorious trio of Novak, Roger and Rafa once they retire?

Novak Djokovic: “Jannik Sinner is one to watch”

^{The young Italian is tipped to become the next top player by the world no. 1 – high praise indeed!}

According to Djokovic, Sinner is a sensational player to watch out for. He stated the same in his post-match interview at the Vienna Open, saying, “I definitely see a lot of quality in the young players. But Sinner is one to watch.” He also added, “(Sinner) possesses a game that is powerful and is with a lot of quality, and you can say he has the potential to be a top player of the world.”

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Jannik Sinner, only 19 years old, made a brilliant run into the quarterfinals of the French Open last month, only to be beaten by the King of Clay. However, reaching the Roland Garros quarterfinals itself made him the first male after Nadal to make it there in his first attempt. Novak, who also reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the same age, has no doubts about Sinner’s competence. He also acknowledged the gaping age gap and stated that he belongs to a different group entirely.

“Sinner is definitely, I would say, the leader of the guys younger than Zverev and Tsitsipas, who I think by many experts’ opinions [is] the next ‘top’ top player,” he said.

Optimize career and life for enduring: Djokovic’s advice to teenagers

^{Novak Djokovic in action at the 2020 Vienna Open.}

Novak asserted that Tsitsipas and Zverev have earned quite a few titles already despite their relatively short careers. Thus, they could be considered as established stars instead of upcoming players.

He said, “These are the guys of the ‘next’ generation, so to speak. They’re still very young, but they have a lot of titles. Both Zverev and Tsitsipas won the [Nitto ATP] Finals, which after Slams is the biggest event in our sport. So those guys are already established, top guys. I can’t speak of them as ‘potential’ in tennis, because they already have achieved some great heights in tennis… But let’s see.”

He also believes that there are a lot of factors that influence the success of a young player. He considers the ability of a player to be able to tackle the hectic tennis schedule as necessary. The Serb places paramount importance on the long-term endurance of the players, which is something that the Big 3 have succeeded in.

He stated, “Many things have to come together in a career and life of a tennis player for him to be able to find his best and maximize his potential and to thrive every single year. And to endure, because I think you have a much better chance to have a great Grand Slam or a great season. But can you endure for three, four, five, 10 years? 15 years?”

Djokovic is currently fighting at the 2020 Vienna Open, where he beat Borna Coric on Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals.

Also Read: Rafael Nadal is the only obstacle in Novak Djokovic’s way to the Year-End World No.1 ranking