Jannik Sinner is the dominant player in men’s tennis in 2024 and now former world No 1 Andy Roddick has paid him the ultimate compliment.
Sinner won his third title of the season as he finally became the Miami Open champion, with his 6-3, 6-1 demolition of Grigor Dimitrov in the final of that tournament backing up a 6-1 6-2 rout of Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals.
Fluid logo
The manner of those two victories inspired Roddick to suggest the new world No 2 has to be compared to the great Rafael Nadal when he was at the peak of his powers.
“I’m gonna to make a point for you on how dominant this performance was by Jannik Sinner,” said Roddick on the latest edition of his Served video podcast.
“We all know that Novak (Djokovic), the numbers don’t lie and he is the best of all-time.
“But the most dominant person when you get on a specific surface at a specific time is Rafa on clay. That’s as indisputable as the GOAT conversation, maybe even more so.
“So I’m going what are the statistical comparisons of Jannik Sinner winning 1 and 2 in the semi-finals of a 1000 and then 1 and 3 in the final?
“2010 in Monte-Carlo. Rafael Nadal beat David Ferrer 6-1, 6-2 in the semi-final and then beats (Fernando) Verdasco 6-0, 6-1 in the final.
“To draw a comp to what Sinner just did in Miami, you have to go to prime Nadal on clay. That is what you are comparing this dominance to.
“Sinner in Miami, Rafa prime on clay. That’s the comp for what he just did.”
Roddick backed up his lavish praise of Sinner by suggested there is no doubt that he is now the best player in the world, as he presented this evidence.
“There is no doubt that over the last five months, he is the best player in the world,” he added.
“He’s beaten Novak three times, he lost the first six in is career against Medvedev and now he has won the last five.
“He’s won Masters 1000, won Davis Cup and won a Grand Slam. That’s why I say you can compare him to Rafa on clay in Monte-Carlo in 2010.
“The dominance with which he is doing this, he is going through the best players in the world to do this.
“I know Novak wasn’t in Miami, but I don’t think that mattered the way this guy is playing. He is just dominant.
“The shape on his shots are bigger and he’s not missing. All credit to him.”
READ MORE: When could Jannik Sinner replace Novak Djokovic as the new world No 1?
Sinner is preparing to test his vastly improved game on clay courts when he plays at the Monte-Carlo Masters next week and he appears to be keeping his feet on the ground despite the success and praise flowing in his direction.
“I started the season really, really well,” said Sinner after his title win in Miami.
“I never thought to start it like this. But it also means that I stay in this moment. You know, whatever happened happened already, and every tournament where you go, you have a new opportunity.
“That’s how I see it. I have a great team behind me who pushes me. We know what we have to improve. Now the clay season is coming, so usually I struggle there. So let’s see what I can do this year. Then we see, no?
“For sure, I am living a good life now. I mean, I made a lot of matches. I won three tournaments. So for me it means a lot, but in the other way, in three, four days, you have practice again and try to get better.
“There is not so much time to enjoy this. That’s what I feel like that I have improved a lot. You know, after Australia, I live these moments, three or four days, and then after, I get back to work. It was the same in Rotterdam and it’s the same here, because you don’t have to time to enjoy.
“So this is also how I am because maybe there are players who enjoy a little bit for longer. Me, I know that I don’t have so much time to prepare for Monaco, so this is now obviously the next goa.”
