Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic in today’s training
The tennis world has said goodbye to 2023, but for the racquet champions the break is short. In just a few days, players will return to the court and prepare for the Australian season, which culminates with the Australian Open in mid-January. In a busy schedule, planning is everything: nothing is left to chance.
Among the most anticipated Jannik Sinner, the Italian star who will travel to Alicante for intensive physical and technical preparation. The end of his height growth now allows him to do more intensive strength training that he was previously unable to use.
Luca Nardi, another rising talent, will share this path with Sinner, as Nardi himself revealed after the Next Gen ATP Finals. This year Sinner has made remarkable progress, which is confirmed by his positioning in the world rankings (4th place). From the competition in Beijing onwards, his successes were sensational: victory at the ATP500 in Vienna, the final at the end-of-year Masters in Turin and the triumph in the Davis Cup.
His progress was marked by victories against giants like Novak Djokovic. Although Djokovic prevailed in the ATP final, Sinner demonstrated his strength by defeating him in the round robin of the Masters at the Pala Alpitour and in the Davis semifinals, saving him three match points.
Paolo Bertolucci, in the podcast “La Telefonata”, in conversation with Adriano Panatta, underlined the importance of these successes: “Sinner has made a leap in quality and beat Djokovic twice. Now he is just a few steps away from the Serb’s level. This comparison is now based on the condition of equality.” The enthusiasm is palpable in the world of Italian tennis.
The focus now shifts to the Slams, where the best-of-five set format and the need to maintain high performances for two weeks will be the true test for Sinner. Italian tennis is eagerly awaiting the next chapters of this exciting story.
Marco Rossi
