Jannik Sinner has been told that Novak Djokovic “fears” him after the Italian saved three match points to beat him in the recent Davis Cup semi-final. Retired star Adriano Panatta believes that the 22-year-old will have the advantage when he next faces the world No 1. But it’s a dramatic U-turn from the 1976 French Open winner, who blasted Sinner just months ago for missing the Davis Cup group stage.
Sinner recently helped Italy clinch their first Davis Cup trophy in 47 years. The world No 4 put on a masterclass to beat Alex de Minair 6-3 6-0 in the final after Matteo Arnaldi downed Alexei Popyrin. Sinner also had to keep his nation alive in both their quarter-final and semi-final ties when they lost the first singles rubber.
On both occasions he stormed back to win the second singles match and, with Lorenzo Sonego, clinched victory in the doubles. In the semi-final, he saved three match points against Djokovic which would have given Serbia a place in the final. But Sinner was able to come through 6-2 2-6 7-5 before he and Sonego beat Djokovic and Miomir Kecmanovic in doubles.
Retired Italian tennis player Panatta now believes that Sinner has an edge over the 24-time Grand Slam champion, with Djokovic “fearing” his young rival. “He is an example, he is a millimetre from Djokovic, they play on equal terms,” the 73-year-old told Corriere dello Sport.
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“Saving three match points is a feat within a feat. Next time, Jannik will start with an advantage. Nole fears him. With Jannik, we are good for ten years, he is square and mature.”
However, Panatta had a very different opinion of Sinner just a few months ago. The world No 4 pulled out of Italy’s squad for the Davis Cup group stage in September, claiming he didn’t have enough time to rest after the North American hard-court summer.
Panatta was part of the last Italian team to win the World Cup of tennis back in 1976 – also winning the French Open that year – and he wasn’t happy with Sinner’s decision to rest instead of representing his country.
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“Today, tennis players are businesses and, as such, they only think about profit, especially those around them, forgetting history and feelings,” he said of Sinner.
Referencing an Italian Moto GP rider, the former player added: “He had already given up on the Olympic Games, today he says no to the Davis Cup. Jannik is tired? [Francesco] Bagnaia, three days after the accident, was already on the bike.”
Sinner was able to prove his doubters wrong when he proved to be the squad’s MVP during Davis Cup Finals week. The world No 4 also made waves in his home country during the ATP Finals, which were staged in Turin. He beat Djokovic in the group stage before they faced a rematch in the final where the world No 1 was able to defeat the home favourite.
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