<!–
–>
Novak Djokovic’s coach Goran Ivanisevic has highlighted Jannik Sinner as the player who could become a “big opponent” and cause problems for the Serbian great.
The 2001 Wimbledon champion also declared that Carlos Alcaraz will remain Djokovic’s primary rival, while admitting it is “difficult” to see someone competing with his charge “for a long time.”
Djokovic holds a 3-0 record against Sinner, having faced the world No 4 once in each of the last three seasons. He won the pair’s first encounter 6-4, 6-2 at the 2021 Monte Carlo Masters.
In the quarter-finals of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, the 24-time Grand Slam champion was tested by the Italian star but recovered to prevail 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
The pair then faced off again in the semi-finals at Wimbledon this year, with the 36-year-old earning a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) victory against the 22-year-old.
Sinner has a 51-14 record and has won three titles – Montpellier, Toronto and Beijing – during what has been an excellent 2023 season.
His triumph at the Masters 1000 tournament in Canada was the biggest title of his career to date, while he earned highly impressive consecutive wins over Grigor Dimitrov, Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev to secure the China Open earlier this month.
Sinner is in action this week at the Vienna Open, where we will face Frances Tiafoe in the last eight on Friday.
In an interview with Sportske, former world No 2 Ivanisevic discussed the ATP stars that currently pose the biggest threat to Djokovic.
“It will stay that way (Alcaraz being top of Djokovic’s list of rivals). There are other good tennis players, especially Daniil Medvedev, and Novak’s big opponent could be the Italian Jannik Sinner, who also knows how to get into a crisis, but it seems that he absolutely does not suit Alcaraz, and Novak could also have problems with him,” said the Croatian.
“Although it is actually too difficult a word and as long as the relations in men’s tennis are like this, it is difficult to see someone who could compete with Djokovic for a position in the world rankings for a long time.”
Djokovic defeated world No 3 Medvedev in straight sets in the final of the 2023 US Open last month to win a fourth title at the New York Major in a record 10th final appearance.
The world No 1 triumphed at three of the four Grand Slam tournaments this year, while he also lost in five sets to Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final. The Serbian has now won 12 Majors in his 30s and has a 12-3 record in Grand Slam finals since turning 30.
The 36-year-old is set to make his return to action at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Paris next week.
READ MORE: Ben Shelton names his GOAT and reveals which player he ‘tried to steal secrets from’
<!–
–>