Novak Djokovic explains what he finds simply ‘incredible’ about Jannik Sinner as both progress at Wimbledon

Follow us on Google Discover

Novak Djokovic looks destined to face off with Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semi-finals.

Setting the tone for Saturday’s action, Sinner dominated Pedro Martinez 6-3, 6-1, 6-3, booking his place in round four.

Not to be outdone, the Serb produced a masterclass of his own, as Djokovic beat his countryman Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 6-0, 6-4.

Both players dropped just seven games in their third-round matches as they outlined their Wimbledon title-winning credentials.

Placed in the same half of the draw, Djokovic and Sinner could play one another in the semi-finals, just as they did at Roland Garros last month.

With the prospect of a tenth career meeting with Sinner lingering, Djokovic has given his verdict on the three-time Grand Slam winner.

Novak Djokovic says Jannik Sinner’s timing is ‘incredible’

During his post-match press conference, Djokovic was asked about the similarities between the way he and Sinner play tennis.

“It’s obvious in terms of the style of play that we both have. We have quite a bit of similarities. We try to be aggressive. Take the ball early. Dominate the exchanges from the baseline,” he said.

“I remember him as a really young kid, 13 or 14 years old, when I met him and hit some balls with him. He was skinny and tall. Kind of like myself. He’s taller than me. I was always quite skinny when I was younger. He was just ripping the ball.

“You could see he’s got really good timing and speed on his strokes. He uses the Head Speed racquet that I use as well. There are quite a few similarities.”

Djokovic was, however, keen to point out the differences, praising Sinner and his team for the improvements he’s made recently.

“But obviously, he’s unique in his own way. The work he’s done with his team over the last few years is tremendous in terms of his improvement,” he said.

“Serve, movement, accuracy. As much as everyone talks about the speed of his shots, the timing is incredible.

“But I think it’s just that he’s decreased the number of unforced errors he had in the first few years of his career.

“Now he’s just super accurate and constantly puts pressure on the opponent because he plays so fast.”

The Serb was proud to have played a supporting role in Sinner’s rise to the top of the men’s game.

“I’m glad I was able to, in a sense, influence him in a positive way, as someone he looked up to in terms of the game,” said Djokovic.

“He was working for quite a few years with Riccardo Piatti, who used to be my coach. I have a great relationship with him. That’s how I met Jannik [Sinner].

“Riccardo would ask me to give advice and some guidance. We would talk quite a bit. I would always be happy to share.

“It’s amazing to see his journey and how good he’s become, a dominant force in men’s tennis.”

Ranked number one in the world, Sinner has dominated the majority of his ATP Tour rivals, but how has he fared against the legendary Serb?

Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner’s head-to-head record

Djokovic and Sinner have played nine times in total, with the Italian edging their head-to-head 5-4.

Winning each of their previous four meetings, Sinner took control of his rivalry with the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

It is, however, important to note that at Wimbledon, Djokovic has a 100% record against Sinner, beating him in 2022 and 2023,

Perhaps Djokovic will take inspiration from those wins should the pair face off later in the tournament.

Neither Djokovic nor Sinner will want to get ahead of themselves, however, as the former prepares to take on Alex de Minaur and the latter, Grigor Dimitrov, in the fourth round.