Jannik Sinner says Lorenzo Musetti "may be more talented" than him, believes 4r match against Rafael Nadal at RG will be "different"
Jannik Sinner believes compatriot Lorenzo Musetti may be more talented than him due to his physical strength and supreme variety in his game.
The two Italian teenagers are widely considered among the best young players in the world at present, although Sinner has shown a lot more promise with his results on the ATP Tour thus far.
Both Sinner and Musetti are into the fourth round of the 2021 Roland Garros, where they will lock horns with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic respectively.
Speaking to the media after his third-round win over Mikael Ymer, Sinner said that he and Musetti had made waves in Italy with their rapid rise. The 19-year-old also claimed Musetti is "maybe more talented than me."
"As for Lorenzo, a lot of people are talking about him," Jannik Sinner said. "They also wonder who is the best and try to decide between us, but I think it's especially good for the Italian fans. We have two different styles of play, two different personalities also on and off the court.
"I think he's talented, very talented; maybe more talented than me. From a physical point of view, he is very robust. With the ball he can do anything, like I said. He has more options than me. It's fantastic to see him ramping up like that and racking up victories."
Jannik Sinner said Musetti's last-16 clash against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic would be a learning experience for the young Italian.
"He will play against Novak. So in one way it will be tight, difficult to play against him, but on the other hand, it's also a great opportunity. In a way, it's a good test," Sinner said.
Sinner, meanwhile, will look to gain revenge on Rafael Nadal for his quarterfinal loss to the Spaniard at Roland Garros last year. The two also met at the round of 32 at the Italian Open, with Nadal triumphing in straight sets.
Sinner, however, believes their clash on Monday could have a different outcome.
"I have already played twice against Rafa. So it might be different."
Jannik Sinner is not the best fourth-round opponent: Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal, on his part, believes Jannik Sinner is among the toughest fourth-round opponents he could have asked for.
"You can't expect an easy opponent out there," Rafael Nadal said. "Jannik is not the best fourth round. Without a doubt, he's a dangerous one," Nadal said. "He's young. He's a great player. We know each other well, so let's see. I need to be ready to play at a very high level of tennis to have chances to be in the quarter-finals, and I'm going to fight for it."
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