Jannik Sinner is one of the brightest prospects in men’s tennis and has a body shape that can be quite deceiving, according to the only Italian man in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam title.
Adriano Panatta, who won the 1976 French Open, has described the 19-year-old as an ‘amazing player for his age.’ Sinner has already won two ATP titles so far in his young career and recently reached the final of the Miami Open. Becoming the youngest player to reach the final of a Masters tournament since Rafael Nadal in 2005. He also reached the quarter-finals of the French Open last year on his debut.
In the eyes of the 70-year-old Sinner’s baseline game is already at a level matching the prestigious Big Three who have dominated men’s tennis for the past decade. However, the world No.23 recently stated that he believes his generation still has a way to go before they dethone the trio.
“Sinner is very strong, he is an amazing player for his age, especially for how he sets up the match from a mental point of view,” Panatta recently told Italy’s Rai Radio 2.
“I’ve never seen a tennis player shoot so hard lately, maybe Del Potro. In the game from the baseline he is almost unbeatable, at the levels of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal.’
“We (my generation) played much slower, there is no comparison. Gattone Mecir was hitting at a quarter of Sinner’s speed.”
The hype surrounding Sinner is one supported by statistics. According to an Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis the Italian was the ‘peak performer’ on the serve and return leaderboards among the eight highest-ranking under 21 players in 2020.
Due to his age, Sinner still has a way to go before reaching his top physical condition. Panatta compares his current shape with that of Disney character Goofy. However, he admits that looks can be deceiving.
“Jannik has this body that looks like Goofy from Walt Disney, slender, a bit slouching, yet he pulls crazy broadsides because he hits well, a lot of muscles are not even needed, he’s all technique. And he’s still a kid, he doesn’t even have a beard,” he commented.
Continuing his analysis, Panatta acknowledges that there are various areas of Sinner’s game which he can improve further over the coming years. Although he believes his compatriot has what it takes to go to the top of the men’s game.
“Already now he is worth top ten in the world. When will he win the Grand Slam? I don’t know, this year or next. He has all the potential to make a career at the top of the world but he is young and then he depends on many things, in life you never know,” he concluded.
Sinner is currently the youngest player in the ATP top 50.
