"To beat my record, it'll take Jannik Sinner 2 lifetimes" - Italy's first Grand Slam men's champion Nicola Pietrangeli
Nicola Pietrangeli has heaped praise on his compatriot Jannik Sinner but claimed that one of his records would be out of reach of the recently crowned Australian Open champion.
Sinner made his Major breakthrough at the year's first Grand Slam last week, recovering from two sets down to beat 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev. Earlier, the 22-year-old - the first Italian man to win at Melbourne Park - beat 10-time champion Novak Djokovic in the semis.
Widely regarded as a generational talent and among the finest young players in the game, Sinner is a perfect 7-0 in 2024 after his Melbourne triumph. The win made him only the second Italian man in the Open Era - third overall - to win a Grand Slam singles title, the others being Pietrangeli and Adriano Panatta.
Hailing Sinner for his recent exploits and boosting the profile of Italian tennis, the country's first Grand Slam champion Pietrangeli said (as per MSN):
"This success of Jannik Sinner goes beyond sport. Seeing this little boy win such an important tournament like the Australian Open gives you a boost of joy. Now it's too early to say what it will be, but the future is bright for him."
Pietrangeli predicted more success for the youngster, but added that his Davis Cup record of 164 matches would be out of Sinner's reach:
"Sinner has no weak points at the moment, even if he can always improve. ... To beat my record, however, it will take him two lifetimes. He will beat almost all of them, but the one of 164 matches in the Davis Cup is impossible because they have changed the regulations."
Sinner, with a 9-1 record, led Italy to their first Davis Cup title in nearly five decades last year, going unbeaten in three singles matches.
A look at the notable milestones Jannik Sinner reached with Australian Open win
The Italian produced a near perfect fortnight in Melbourne Park, reaching the semis without dropping a set.
After seeing off Djokovic in four sets to reach his maiden Major final, Sinner found himself two sets down against Medvedev. Nevertheless, he won the next three sets, his first comeback from two sets down.
That made him only the second Australian Open men's singles champion in the Open Era to do so in the final. The first? Rafael Nadal in 2022, with Medvedev at the receiving end.
Jannik Sinner is the third youngest player to win the men's singles title at Melbourne Park, with only Djokovic (2008) and Jim Courier (1992) ahead of him. He's also the first player in 12 years (Djokovic, 2012 Australian Open) to beat three top-five players consecutively to win a Major.