Italian tennis chief names the WTA player who Jannik Sinner really reminded him of when he first saw him

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Jannik Sinner has been told he reminded Italian tennis chief Angelo Binaghi of a WTA legend.

The World number one firmly established himself as a force to be reckoned with on the ATP Tour following a stellar 2024 season.

The 23-year-old ended the season with nine titles, including two Grand Slams and the successful defence of the Davis Cup.

He vastly improved over the last 12 months and Angelo Binaghi reckons he always knew Sinner would come good.

Jannik Sinner compared to WTA player by Italian tennis chief Angelo Binaghi

Jannik Sinner has been praised from all corners of the tennis world for his incredible rise to the top of the men’s tennis. He became the 29th player to reach the World number one ranking and is the favourite to successful his 2025 Australian Open title.

Though he had a strong end to the 2023 season by winning the Davis Cup for Italy, the level of success attained in 2024 has been outstanding.

This is something Italian tennis chief Angelo Binaghi always knew he was capable of, but he just needed to be given time. In fact, when he first met Sinner five years ago as a teenager, the 64-year-old explained how he reminded him of a young Venus Williams.

“We saw each other in the locker room during the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2019. He was the first Italian to win this competition, and so I went to congratulate him,” Binaghi told Ubi Tennis.

“He struck me for his education and simplicity. On the court, you could already see his enormous value, from a technical point of view he was of a very high level. However, he still had to fill some physical gaps, he was a bit immature.

“He reminded me a bit of Venus Williams: incredible potential, but athletic difficulties in covering the court. Now in his movement, he is a rocket, he has improved his service and he is also incisive at the net.”

Venus Williams’ rise to the top of the women’s game similar to Jannik Sinner on the ATP Tour

As a teenager Venus Williams showed great promise after turning pro aged just 14 in 1994.

She reached her first grand Slam final at the age of 17 at the 1997 US Open, but fellow teenager Martina Hingis, 16, claimed a straight sets victory.

Her first Grand Slam titles came in 2000, when she won Wimbledon and the US Open. This was one of the best years of Venus’ career, as she also won the Olympic Gold medal in Sydney.

The American successfully defended titles at SW19 and Flushing Meadows the following year, before becoming the first black woman to become the World number one in February 2002.

Williams went on to win three more Wimbledon titles and establish herself as one of the greatest players of all time. Sinner has started his career in similar fashion and is aiming to build on his 2024 success next season.