"Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal are Gods but what Jannik Sinner & Carlos Alcaraz do with their bodies is crazy" - Diego Schwartzman
Diego Schwartzman said that Jannik Sinner was the most intimidating player he faced during his playing days on the ATP Tour. According to Schwartzman, Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz can do things with their bodies that not even the legendary Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic could do.
Sinner was on the cusp of winning several important events in recent years. However, more often than not, the Italian seemed to come up short when it mattered most, especially against the biggest players in deep stages of tournaments. Things radically changed in the second half of 2023 though, with Sinner seemingly growing in confidence and winning a handful of ATP Tour-level events.
This year, Jannik Sinner has arguably been the most consistent men's tennis player in the world. Not only has the Italian won his first two Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and the US Open, but he has also consolidated his position at the top of the ATP Tour rankings.
Recently, Argentine former World No. 8 Diego Schwartzman appeared as a guest on the Nothing Major podcast and was asked about the most intimidating player he faced on the ATP Tour. The 32-year-old, who called time on his career earlier this year, chose Jannik Sinner and hailed his on-court attributes.
"Let’s choose one of the new guys. I think Sinner. I played him a few times. He wasn’t even top 10 yet. I was saying ‘Come on… what is this guy?’ Sliding, power.. movement.. everything. It’s scary," Schwartzman said.
The Argentine went on to reflect on how he faced the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. However, according to Schwartzman, Sinner and Alcaraz can perform at a level that not even the Big 3 were capable of.
"It’s crazy because we played against Novak, Roger, Rafa. These guys are Gods. But Sinner and Alcaraz… what they do with their bodies is crazy," Schwartzman added.
Schwartzman never won against Sinner before retiring, and the same was his case against Federer and Djokovic. The Argentine though, did win once against Nadal.
Diego Schwartzman only won on one occasion against Rafael Nadal; never came out on top against Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer
Schwartzman faced Nadal 12 times, losing 11 of those matches, with his sole win against the Spaniard coming in the quarterfinals of the 2020 Italian Open. The Argentine locked horns against Federer on four occasions and lost all of them.
The former World No. 8 also got seven opportunities to get the better of Djokovic but failed to make the most of them, always coming up second-best against the Serb. The Argentine also squared off against Jannik Sinner four times before retiring, with the Italian always coming out on top.
Schwartzman and Sinner's last meeting came in the second round of the 2023 Wimbledon Championship which finished 7-5, 6-1, 6-2, in Sinner's favor.