"We couldn't ask for a better ambassador" - Jannik Sinner has alleviated the 'worries' of transitioning to post-Big 3 era, says tennis commentator
Commentator Robbie Koenig has said that Jannik Sinner has stepped up as an exemplary tennis ambassador in the post-Big 3 era. Sinner, who has been steadily rising through the ranks in recent years, claimed his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open last month.
Sinner, who lost the first two sets (3-6, 3-6) in the final against Daniil Medvedev, shifted gears from the third set onwards. Medvedev, on the other hand, looked jaded and out of sorts, which allowed the Italian to capitalize and win the remaining sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.
Jannik Sinner also defeated Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. Djokovic, a member of the famed Big 3, is still going strong at the age of 36, and despite the loss in Melbourne, he is expected to be a contender for the rest of the Majors in the season.
Roger Federer's retirement in 2022 and Rafael Nadal's recurring injuries have left a gaping void in the men's game. Before Sinner's emphatic Australian Open win, only Carlos Alcaraz was seen as a player capable of taking over from the Big 3, owing to his Grand Slam triumphs at the 2022 US Open and the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.
Speaking on an episode of the Tennis Channel Inside-In podcast, former player and commentator Koenig was all-praises for Sinner.
"A young kid who believes so much in the process and is always looking to get better, always add to his game. Even if it was at the expense of losing," he said at the 8:55 mark.
Koenig also suggested that Jannik Sinner's meteoric rise ensures that the tennis world has nothing to worry about as it transitions to the post-Big 3 era.
"I can't applaud the guy enough. What an amazing young man. And just when we were worried about whether tennis would be in good hands in the post-Big 3 era, we couldn't ask for a better ambassador," Koenig added at 10:57.
Jannik Sinner impresses Rafael Nadal's uncle with his Melbourne heroics
Across most of his journey to the Australian Open title, Jannik Sinner steamrolled his opponents, dropping only three sets — one against Djokovic in the semifinal and two against Medvedev in the final. His unerring dominance caught the eye of Rafael Nadal's uncle, Toni.
In his column for El Pais, Toni Nadal wrote that Sinner's maiden Grand Slam title is set to kickstart a stirring rivalry that could potentially transform men's tennis in the future.
"The most logical thing is to think that, from now on, the two of them (Sinner and Alcaraz) will be the ones who will compete for supremacy on the world list," the 62-year-old wrote.