Jannik Sinner the really big shot is still missing to knock on the absolute top. No problem, thinks Ivan Ljubicic.
by Florian Goosman
last edited: 07.08.2023, 07:24
It is of course whining at a high level when one claims to have expected more from Jannik Sinner. After all, the Italian is only 21 years old and placed in the top ten – who can say that about themselves?
Well, Carlos Alcaraz maybe and also Holger Rune, and exactly a comparison with the two could harm Sinner. Because he was actually the first to head towards the top of the world, had already cracked the top 20 in spring 2021 and the top 10 for the first time at the end of 2021.
However, the big run in 2022 did not happen, the big names were Alcaraz (with his outstanding spring and the US Open victory) and Rune (with the high in autumn).
Calm down, it’s working
But: Take it easy, says Ivan Ljubicic. “He’s improved, as he should at his age,” Roger Federer’s ex-professional and coach said tennismajors.com. Yes, of course you can question whether it’s going fast enough, whether the jumps are high enough. But Ljubicic may have identified Sinner’s small penalty last year. “Last year I was disappointed because he didn’t have enough important matches. And that’s important because he’s a guy who gets to five quarter-finals first and then the semi-finals and finals. He doesn’t explode out of nowhere. He is a thinker. Someone who takes slow steps upwards.”
Sinner is now taking exactly these steps this year – “so he’s coming”, only the period of time is questionable.
Whereby Sinner played quite memorable matches last year with the quarter-finals in Wimbledon (five-set defeat against Djokovic) and at the US Open (five-set defeat against Alcaraz). This year he had reached the semifinals of a major for the first time in Wimbledon, but in the end he had no chance against Djokovic.
“In five years Alcaraz, Sinner and Rune will probably be numbers 1, 2 and 3; Medvedev will still be there and make their lives difficult. Some guys will surprise us. But that’s what it feels like at the moment,” said Ljubo.
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Sinner Jannik Carlos Alcaraz Rune Holger Nodskov
2023-08-07 05:24:00
#Ljubicic #sees #Jannik #Sinner #rising #slowly #tennisnet.com
