Boris Becker lapidary on Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.
Boris Becker lapidary on Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic
Former tennis champion Boris Becker in an interview with La Stampa seems to have no doubts about the physical condition of Jannik Sinner, who returned to Roland Garros after an enforced break due to a hip problem. "Jannik è young and smart, surrounded by smart people: if he didn't believe that, he wouldn't be in Paris", assured the German.
"The good news è that he is well enough to play, after his hip problem. The clay is not è his best surface, he has not yet won a big tournament there as he has on concrete and indoors. On red, best of five sets, there are no shortcuts, you can’t just rely on your serve, you have to be at your best physically".
Number 1 è now within reach for the blue champion: "Getting to the top è a very exciting moment. The ’Everest of tennis. It is not about doing well in a couple of tournaments, it is about being the best for 12 months. It is worth more to me than winning in Paris or Wimbledon, because getting it right in two weeks is not enough. I remember the night before I struggled to sleep, I was No. 2 and in the final the next day Lendl was waiting for me, who was No. 1…".
Djokovic’s difficulties are directly related to Sinner, according to Becker: "I think the defeat against Sinner in Australia emptied Nole a little bit. He ’s never been the real Djokovic this year, but he certainly hasn’t unlearned how to play tennis. For him now only the Slam" counts.
