"Jannik Sinner could be the new Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz has the X factor but Jannik Sinner is solid" - Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios has showered Jannik Sinner with a lot of praise, stating he could be the new Novak Djokovic.
Sinner faced Djokovic in the semifinals of the 2024 Australian Open and beat him in a dominant way to progress to his maiden Major final. In the process, he also ended the Serbian's 33-match winning streak at the Melbourne Major.
Nick Kyrgios, who has been working with French broadcaster Eurosport as a commentator, praised Sinner and revealed that he has kept an eye on the Italian's progress over the last few years.
"He's just always willing to learn and get better. I've been keeping my out on him for the last year or two and he deserves all the success that's going to come his way and I'm sure that we're gonna see him in many more finals. That's for sure," he said. (via Eurosport)
Sinner's eagerness to get better as a player saw him split with his childhood coach Riccardo Piatti and in June 2022 hire Darren Cahill, who has previously worked with the likes of Andre Agassi, Andy Murray, and Ana Ivanovic.
Kyrgios praised the 22-year-old for his willingness to not only figure out his shortcomings but work on them with the right people.
"Darren Cahill's a great coach, the changes that he's made in his game and the willingness for Jannik Sinner to give it a try has now elevated him to the top of the sport. No one has beaten Novak here in so long and in that fashion as well. Novak didn't even create one break point," he said.
After his win against Djokovic, Sinner opined that he and the Serb have a very similar style, a statement that Kyrgios agreed with. The 28-year-old Australian also said that Sinner could be the new Djokovic.
"I just love the fact that Sinner compared. I love that comparison. He’s like him and Novak play similar. I can see it. After today, I definitely think that Sinner could be the new Novak. I mean [Carlos] Alcaraz obviously he's got that X factor maybe a little bit more flamboyant with his game style but Sinner is solid," he added.
Jannik Sinner faces Daniil Medvedev in Australian Open 2024 final
Jannik Sinner will face Daniil Medvedev in the men's singles final at the 2024 Australian Open.
Sinner will go into the match trailing the Russian 6-3 in the head-to-head stats. However, while the Russian won their first six encounters, the Italian prevailed in their recent three meetings, with two of them being finals in Beijing and Vienna.
If Sinner clinches the title on Sunday, January 28, he will become the youngest Australian Open champion since Novak Djokovic won in 2008 as a 20-year-old. He will also become only the second Italian man in the Open Era (after Adriano Panatta) to win a Grand Slam.