'He's got everything to become a champion' - World No 1 Novak Djokovic on the rise of Jannik Sinner

ByThe Editorial Team

Updated 12/04/2021 at 11:35 GMT

World number one Novak Djokovic has earmarked 19-year-old Italian tennis prodigy Jannik Sinner as a future champion of the sport. Sinner, ranked 22nd in the world, reached his maiden ATP Masters 1000 final this month at the Miami Open and could be set to face Djokovic should he beat Albert Ramos-Viñolas in the first round of this week's Monte Carlo Masters.

Jannik Sinner is on the path to becoming a champion, says world number one Novak Djokovic.

The 19-year-old is at a career best ranking off 22nd in the world after reaching his maiden ATP 1000 final at the Miami Open in April.

He could come up against Djokovic in this week's Monte Carlo Masters should he beat Spain's Albert Ramos-Viñolas, and while Djokovic is an 18-time Grand Slam winner, he's taking nothing for granted against a player he's earmarked as a future champion.

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"I have seen his development, his trajectory, his road to where he is at the moment," said the Serbian, who has a opening round bye at the ATP Masters event on clay.

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It's really impressive. He's a very, very nice person. He's working really hard. He's devoted. He's got all the goods that he needs in order to become a champion.

"He's surrounded with very good people from tennis coach, fitness coach, physio. I know all these people from a long time ... He's in good hands."

In February, Sinner became the youngest man since Djokovic in 2006 to win two ATP titles and made the quarter-finals of the 2020 French Open too at just the age of 18.

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Image credit: Getty Images

"There is a lot of the achievements that I'm sure he wants to achieve in his career as he's pointing out. He's very ambitious," the 33-year-old said.

"It seems like he's not satisfied with what he has achieved so far. He wants to do more, which is great to see there's the hunger in him."

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