Jannik Sinner has divulged more information on his relationship with Novak Djokovic ahead of a potential meeting in the Wimbledon semi-final.
The Italian is at Wimbledon as the World No. 1, while Novak Djokovic believes Wimbledon is his best chance of a Grand Slam.
Sinner broke a Djokovic record ahead of Wimbledon, but the pair share a friendly rivalry on the ATP Tour.
The Italian has revealed exactly what he’s learned from Djokovic and the lessons the Serbian has given him.
Sharing a court with Novak Djokovic made Jannik Sinner a better player
Sinner spoke about the subtle coaching he’s received from Djokovic during the time on the court together.
I have learned many things from him,” explained the World No. 1 in an interview with SportKlub. “I feel like my game style, it’s not the same, because we are different, but at times similar.”
Sinner studied Djokovic’s dominant performances on the ATP Tour, which saw him win a landmark 24 Grand Slams.
“I have watched a lot of his videos,” Sinner added. “I was lucky that I could share the court with him some times ago in matches that you see things, how they work, and if they work well or not.”
The pair have built an off-court relationship in Djokovic’s twilight years, and Sinner believes it’s helped him top the ATP Tour rankings.
“He’s very important for me as a player and also as a person,” explained Sinner. “I really appreciate his kind words, because it means that I’m most improving as a player, which as I said before, is the most important part.”
Sinner and Djokovic both play their second round matches on Centre Court on July 3. The Italian plays Aleksandar Vukic, while the Serbian plays Briton Dan Evans.
Jannik Sinner’s likely route to the Wimbledon final
Sinner will have to play some big hitters if he wants to become the first Italian in history to win Wimbledon.
The World No. 1 should have no problems getting through Vukic in the second round and his next opponent will not be who he expected.
He’ll play either Pedro Martinez or Mariano Navone after the latter achieved a huge scalp by dumping out Denis Shapovalov in the first round.
The fourth round is where things get harder for the Italian. World No. 13 Tommy Paul should be waiting for Sinner in the round four.
Top 10 player Ben Shelton is the likely candidate to provide Sinner his last eight test, before he gets to heavyweights Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz in the semis and final.