Jannik Sinner has established himself as the world’s most consistent player over the past 18 months.
The Italian has registered plenty of victories against the world’s best and he has the championship titles to show for it.
A year has elapsed since Sinner ascended to the position of World number one, and he continues to hold a substantial advantage at the top of the rankings, even after suffering a defeat in a thrilling French Open final against Carlos Alcaraz.
He has cultivated a reputation on the court as an explosive yet reliable ball striker, making it exceedingly challenging for opponents to penetrate his defenses, which has left former World number one Mats Wilander in admiration.
Mats Wilander thinks Jannik Sinner does something better than anyone else in tennis history
Jannik Sinner has significantly enhanced his performance since the conclusion of 2023. He finished that season by reaching the championship match at the ATP Finals and leading Italy to their inaugural Davis Cup title since 1976, which they successfully defended the following year.
Since that time, Sinner has secured three Grand Slam titles and the 2024 ATP Finals championship, establishing himself as a formidable presence on the tour.
Mats Wilander, a seven-time major champion, believes that the foundation of Sinner’s success lies in his playing style, characterized by consistency and aggression.
The Swede remarked to Tennis365 that this particular aspect of the 23-year-old’s game surpasses that of any other player in history, a commendation of the highest order.
I’ve seen players hit the ball harder than Jannik, but not a guy who hits it this hard and takes it this early,” Wilander said. “Sinner is the real deal, there’s no doubt about it. The combination of taking it early and hitting it that hard is what is so incredible with Sinner.
It is much more difficult to hit that hard and that consistently when you take it so early. We have seen a lot of guys standing three metres behind the baseline on a clay court and smacking it hard, as they have time to line the ball up and get that connection on it.
Sinner is not doing that. He is standing up on the baseline, he is hitting the ball so hard and I’ve never seen anyone in my time in tennis who has that combination of hitting the ball so hard and taking it so early.
You can see the impact it is having on his opponents as they simply don’t have the time to get into position to trade with him.
Mats Wilander identifies one key area where Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s matches that stand out
Sinner and Alcaraz have once again demonstrated why they are the foremost competitors in this new era of men’s tennis, following their French Open final.
For five hours and 29 minutes, the duo challenged each other to their utmost limits with relentless ball striking and exceptional shot-making during the most pressured moments.
Many have referred to Sunday’s final as one of the greatest in history, yet Wilander observed a particular aspect of Alcaraz and Sinner’s encounters, asserting that they play at a quicker pace than the ‘Big 3’ of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.
The speed at which both Sinner and Alcaraz are playing the game currently is remarkable,” Wilander stated. “It seems to me that this represents another level. This does not imply that they surpass Federer at his peak, or Nadal and Djokovic at their best.
Perhaps they commit more errors, but the game is indeed faster. They tend to make more mistakes than Djokovic and Nadal did at their peak, which complicates comparisons between different eras.
It is essential to incorporate Nadal’s mindset into this conversation. One must also consider Djokovic’s capacity to analyze the situation and provide what his opponents do not desire. That is why I appreciate Novak remaining competitive and seeking to challenge himself against these players.
