Jannik Sinner started to show big signs of improvement at the back end of 2023, but he has taken his game to ridiculously high levels this year.
After his win against Novak Djokovic in the group phase of last year’s ATP Finals was backed up by a thrilling victory against the Serbian as he led Italy to Davis Cup glory last November.
Those wins appeared to give Sinner the belief he needed to take his career to the next level and he made 2024 his own as he took over as world No 1 and claimed his first two Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and US Open.
Carlos Alcaraz is the only rival who has consistently challenged Sinner’s dominance as he won the French Open and Wimbledon titles, but it was Sinner ending the year on a high as he lifted the ATP Finals title for the first time in is career.
How has he done it? As always in elite sport, marginal gains can make all the difference and here are four big reasons why Sinner has separated himself from all but one of the chasing pack.
THE SERVE
This may be the biggest reason why Sinner had gone from being a pretender to a champion.
At the start of 2023, Sinner was serving with his back foot flat on the ground prior to his motion starting.
With the input of his respected coach Darren Cahill, that starting position changed as he moved to a stance that saw his back heel elevated.
This appears to have allowed him to get more height as he reaches up for the ball, with the net result seeing a surge in his service numbers.
He has also tweaked the starting position of his racket, with his starting position now in front of his knee.
Sinner’s service motion now looks more classical than he had a year ago and that means there may be less chance of it breaking down under pressure.
MENTALITY
Sinner’s wins against Djokovic at the back end of last year appeared to light a switch in him that has never been turned off.
Belief is so important to any elite athlete and once Sinner realised he had what it took to beat Djokovic, he battered him into submission in the Australian Open semi-finals and quickly became his natural successor as world No 1.
Executing his game plans with more clarity has been another big factor in his improvement, with his mental strength tested to the full after he failed two drug tests back in March.
The strain of that saga looks set to continue into 2025 after the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed against his lack of punishment from tennis chiefs, but Sinner has managed to block out the chaos off the court to stay focused on it.
PACE OF BALL
Sinner appears to hit the ball a little harder than anyone else consistently and that was confirmed by world No 6 Casper Ruud, who suggested the Italian strikes a bigger ball than Djokovic.
“Jannik hits a faster ball than Novak. He doesn’t let you breathe. I think on TV it looks probably similar the way they play, but it’s bigger with Jannik,” said Ruud.
“I don’t necessarily like to compare players because everyone has their own style. For me, you don’t realize how fast Jannik plays unless you watch him play live and you’re there in the stadium. On the TV, it’s not fair, the speed.”
Opponents seem constantly surprised by the pace coming at them from Sinner, with his weight of ball through the court seemingly at a different velocity when compared to other players, aside from his big rival Alcaraz.
TEMPERAMENT
Does Sinner ever get flustered?
The Italian does not have a fiery temperament like many from his nation and instead, he boasts a calmness that serves him well in the heat of battle.
He has only been involved in a handful of tight matches this year as most opponents have been dismissed with clinical ease, but there doesn’t seem to be a moment when Sinner loses control.
He doesn’t smash rackets, scream at his box or lose his focus and that has been crucial to his success.
WHAT NEXT?
Sinner believes he can get better and that has to be bad news for the rest of the men’s tour.
“I actually believe there is still room for improvement. I mean, I served very, very good at times, which was not the case throughout the whole tournament,” the 23-year-old said about his ATP Finals success.
“There are still certain shots and points that I can make sometimes better, but are small details. The higher you play level-wise, the more details make the difference.”
It’s hard to see how he can get much better, but the greats of sport always find a way and the biggest threat to Sinner in 2024 may be that WADA appeal against his drug ban.
Tennis could do without the sideshow Sinner has served up after his failed doping tests and that case looks set to be his biggest concern heading into the New Year.
