Toni Nadal Gives Novak Djokovic the Upper Hand Over Jannik Sinner in Terms of Style of Play

Rafael Nadal’s uncle, Toni Nadal, has highlighted why Novak Djokovic is better than Jannik Sinner on the court. Despite Sinner’s dominance since the 2024 season, Djokovic has still enjoyed relative success in recent months. Nadal has labeled the Serbian legend a more complete player than Sinner.

Sinner has risen up the tennis ladder and has become one of the best players of his generation. He has already won four Grand Slam titles in just two seasons at the age of 24 and has also broken a plethora of records on tour. However, Sinner has an arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz, who has been chasing him hard for dominance in the men’s circuit.

Djokovic has struggled to keep tabs on Sinner and Alcaraz on tour due to his age. The 38-year-old is seen as the third best player in the ATP by many having reached four consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals this season. Nevertheless, he has not been able to go over the line against Sinner and Alcaraz in their recent meetings.

The last time Djokovic won a match against Sinner was at the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin. The World No.1 has suffered six consecutive losses against the World No.2 since then on tour. The consecutive wins began at the 2024 Australian Open, where Sinner claimed a decisive four-set win against the former World No.1 in the semi-final.

Their last meeting came at the Wimbledon Championships, where Sinner defeated him in straight sets. During Toni Nadal’s interview with the Gazette, he pointed out that Djokovic’s style of play is more complex than Sinner’s. The former coach of Rafael Nadal added that Sinner has a defined pattern of play on the court:

I think Novak is a bit more complete than Jannik. Jannik has more speed in his shots, Novak a bit more touch. They share the fact that they always impose a high tempo and have exceptional ball control, with very high-level movement. Jannik plays with a very defined pattern: he imposes a very fast pace right from the start, difficult for anyone to follow.

Djokovic claimed his 100th career tour-level title after beating Hubert Hurkacz in the final of the Geneva Open in May. He then made it 101 last week at the Hellenic Championship, where he defeated Lorenzo Musetti in three sets. The former World No.1 then withdrew from the ATP Finals, which led to Musetti taking his place.

Rafael Nadal’s uncle prefers solutions to one of the major issues on tour this season

One of the major discussions amongst players this season is the number of tournaments they play. Some of them, including Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, have complained that the tour schedule ought to be shortened to give players enough rest. Meanwhile, the WTA and ATP have not considered their position, adding more tournaments to an already hectic schedule.

During the aforementioned interview, Toni Nadal was asked about the tour calendar issue and what players have to do. The former Rafael Nadal’s coach offered a different solution, stating that the matter isn’t centered on the calendar but the number of tournaments players compete in every season:

It’s not a matter of the calendar. Many will disagree, but the real problem is that the ball is always going too fast. There are almost no tactical players anymore; today it’s often just a contest to see who can hit harder. And when such quick movements are made, when a player approaches the ball at full speed, brakes, and starts again, it is easy for the body to reach its limit and get injured.

The WTA has ended its 2025 season after the finale tournament finished on Saturday (November 8). The ATP will follow suit on November 16, but the Davis Cup Finals will be played after the tournament. However, the 2026 season will kick off late December ahead of the first Grand Slam in Melbourne.

Also Read: Ex-ATP Pro Slams Novak Djokovic Over ‘Lack of Respect’ for Colleagues After ATP Finals Withdrawal

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