By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Jannik Sinner has reached the highest of the road, however insists he is impressed by enchancment quite than rising to a historic first.
Australian Open champion Sinner is prime seed in Madrid for the primary time, leads the ATP with a 25-2 document and is No. 1 within the ATP Race to Turin.
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Then there are his friends, like world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, who declare the 22-year-old Italian is already the perfect on the planet.
“He is the perfect participant on the planet proper now,” Alcaraz instructed the media in Madrid. “I feel [some] suppose his tennis does not swimsuit effectively to the clay, however he is had outcomes on clay as effectively.
“He can win each event he goes to, and clearly I am combating with him and Novak to be primary. I am attempting to remain there, however actually it is going to be tough.”
Although he trails world No. 1 Novak Djokovic by simply 1,330 rating factors, Sinner says he is pushed by making progress quite than reaching the head of the game.
Sinner says he does not see himself on Djokovic or Alcaraz’s stage but as a result of they’ve achieved extra on larger levels.
“I feel it’s a tricky query to reply,” Sinner stated when requested if he is the perfect. “We at all times see solely this second and I feel that typically it’s good but additionally not good.
“I nonetheless consider that you just can’t examine myself with Novak with all that he has finished. And the identical goes for Carlos. Additionally Carlos gained greater than me.
“I’ve quite a lot of respect for each of them. I simply attempt to play my sport, attempting to grasp what works finest for me after which we see what I can obtain.”
The highest-seeded Sinner will face both Davis Cup doubles accomplice Lorenzo Sonego or Richard Gasquet in his Madrid opener.
Picture credit score: Matteo Villalba/Getty
