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Under a cloud After a monumental season, Sinner's biggest opponent is now off the court
The Guardian
|November 26, 2024
At the end of the 2023 tennis season, as Jannik Sinner had elevated his game to new heights and his Italy team to their first Davis Cup title in 46 years, there was one comparison to note.
Thirteen years earlier, Novak Djokovic had found his way after a difficult period by winning the Davis Cup, a victory that provided a platform for one of the greatest tennis seasons in 2011 and the start of his decade-plus reign.
Sinner's first triumph for Italy at the Davis Cup has similarly preceded a staggering breakout season and, one year on, he ends 2024 as by far the best and most consistent tennis player in the world.
The numbers alone are astounding. Sinner finished the year with a 73-6 (92%) win-loss record and eight ATP titles, including the Australian Open and US Open. No other player has won two grand slam titles, the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup in one year. Not only is this the best season by miles from a player born after Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic, this is one of the best seasons in tennis history.
This story is from the November 26, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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