Roger Federer ex-coach identifies next step for ATP star that can rival Novak Djokovic

Ivan Ljubicic, former coach of Roger Federer, has heaped praise on Jannik Sinner as he tipped him to become the next superstar in the sport. The 22-year-old rising talent ended the year on a high note by defeating Novak Djokovic multiple times and leading Italy to win the Davis Cup.

Despite not having a Grand Slam title yet, Sinner made significant progress in the 2023 season, posing a serious challenge to Djokovic's reign. Sinner led Italy to their first Davis Cup victory in 47 years, marking his best season so far.

He defeated Djokovic twice in one day during the semi-final against Italy, saving match points to beat the world No 1 in the second singles rubber. Following on from this, he then teamed up with Lorenzo Sonego to defeat Djokovic and Miomir Kecmanovic in the doubles.

Less than two weeks prior, Sinner had scored his first victory over the 24-time Major champion in the group stage of the ATP Finals. After the US Open, the Italian lost only two matches and is among the most in-form players entering the 2024 season. His impressive performance has earned him high praise from Ljubicic.

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"Jannik is not like [Carlos] Alcaraz. He did not make a jump from No 40 to No 1 in the world, he needed to take small steps. What he has done in the last two months, the confirmation of impressive work that has not stopped, they have brought him a lot closer to his great goal," Federer's old mentor told Tuttosport.

"He needed to live certain experiences to become more and more comfortable along the way. At the end of 2022, I said that I was very sorry that Jannik had not yet played important matches against the best rackets in the world. Now he has nothing more to learn."

After a thrilling run to the final of the ATP Finals where he lost to Djokovic, the 10-time title winner arrived in Malaga just a day later to represent Italy in the Davis Cup. His dedication impressed Ljubicic, who reflected on Sinner's standout season.

The Croat added: "He started by winning his first Masters 1000, then he beat all the No 1s. He reached the final in Turin and lost it because he was very tired after a very demanding semi-final against [Daniil] Medvedev.

"But when he left the court, he had all five senses in the Davis Cup and in his team. He has a perfect attitude both on and off the court, he is not afraid at all when it comes to talking about his limits and his experiences."

Sinner was the only man to defeat Djokovic twice this year and managed to stop the world No 1 from achieving one of his main goals, winning the Davis Cup for Serbia. Despite only reaching his first Grand Slam semi-final in July, the 22 year old could now be a big contender to win a Major next season, potentially stopping Djokovic from adding to his record tally.

*An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.