Adriano Panatta has lauded Jannik Sinner for a mentality that allows him to remain undaunted and compared his mentality to that of 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal.
The Italian great described Sinner as “cold” and praised his young compatriot as a complete tennis player after his victorious run at the Australian Open. The 22-year-old recovered from a two sets to love deficit to beat Daniil Medvedev in the championship match of the 2024 Australian Open on Sunday.
Playing in his first major final, Sinner registered a 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 win against the lanky Russian who is 5-time Major finalist. The World No. 4 faced 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals and beat him in 4 sets to shock the tennis world as the Serbian was on a 33-match winning streak and unbeaten since 2018.
By clinching his maiden Grand Slam crown, Sinner also became the third Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title after Nicola Pietrangeli and Adriano Panatta who both got their major victories at Roland Garros.
After Sinner’s victorious run at the Australian Open, Panatta who was part of the Italian squad that won the Davis Cup explained what was behind youngster’s seminal triumph.
“Because he now serves like the best hitters on the circuit and has a response worthy of Djokovic,” the former world No 4 said, as reported by Corriere della Sera.
“He is a complete tennis player, with a mentality that allows him to no longer fear anyone. He is cold, he does not tremble at anything. The head: everything comes from the head.
“From that point of view, Jannik reminds me of Nadal, someone who doesn’t give up a 15, who fights on the first ball of the match as if it were the last. And the nice thing is that, at 22 years old, he still has a lot of room for improvement.
“Jannik is an excellent export product of our country, he only transmits values: he is polite, intelligent, respectful of everyone, with a sense of humour, which doesn’t hurt. He is a decent person, never over the top.
“Even those who believe that tennis is played with a spoon [are talking about him]! But a tennis champion who brings good messages is good for everyone. His example helps society.”