Jannik Sinner shocked Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open by shattering his title defense dreams at Melbourne Park and is now eyeing his No. 1 ranking according to Daniil Medvedev.
Medvedev has suggested that the Italian is now in the kind of form of his career where he can topple Djokovic’s ATP #1 rank. Sinner put up a brilliant fightback from two sets to love down to hand Medvedev a heartbreaking 5-set loss as he claimed his maiden major crown at the Australian Open. The World No. 4 is currently in the form of his life as he edged out Djokovic and Medvedev back to back in semifinals and final respectively at the season-opening slam.
Medvedev was recently asked whether he rates Sinner as the best player in the World right now, here is the Russian’s response to the inquiry:
“This tournament he was the best player in the world, and that’s why he won this Slam, but we never know what happens next,” Medvedev said of Sinner.
“Right now he’s No 1 in the (2024 ATP) race. He continues playing like this, continues winning tournaments like this, he’s going to be No 1 in the world at one moment. We never know what can happen. Many, many things can happen in the tennis career.
“That’s why I think tennis is a beautiful sport because you cannot look in the future. You don’t know. Again, if he stays healthy and plays like he played this tournament, one moment he’s going to be No 1. Two months, in one year, in two years, one moment.
“You know, many players went through different moments in their seasons and careers, so let’s see how Jannik handles everything that is going to happen.
“I myself put myself in a good position. I guess I would be No. 2 in the race. I’ll try my best to be somewhere there close by also,” expressed World No. 3.
Medvedev stunned Sinner and everyone by changing his at times mindlessly deep return position as he stood closer to the baseline and played a very attacking game in the opening two frames of the showpiece final and he confirmed this is an area he needs to improve in the new season.
“That’s something I worked a little more in pre-season,” he revealed.
“I’m getting older. That’s true. I’m still very young, but, you know, if we look at Novak or other big champions when maybe in the beginning of their career we could say they are a little bit defensive or something like this, I feel like all of them that wanted to go higher and higher and wanted to stay on the top of the sport when they get older, they try to do.
“So I will see if I can try to do it. My volley was pretty impressive this tournament, and I’m happy about it, so yeah, I think I can do it more often.
“I still think the main core of my game is going to stay, try to put as many balls in the court, make my opponent work. But if physically I’m not feeling well this day or if tactically I feel like that’s the thing, I am going to make it more.
“I hope that my children can be proud of me, my wife can be proud of me, and I think this tournament is definitely in this category, because there are some other ones, maybe where it’s less, yeah, and that’s all I have to say.
“I’m going to try and improve. I think still tennis and parenthood is two different stories. You can be a good tennis player, bad parent; bad tennis player, good parent. I hope I can be a good parent and on the other side, a good tennis player also.”