Jannik Sinner’s two key wins that ‘made it clear he could win a Slam’ identified by major winner

Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek believes that two victories Jannik Sinner earned late in 2023 “made it clear” he could win a Grand Slam title.

The former world No 1 highlighted Sinner’s win over Daniil Medvedev in the Vienna final and his triumph against Novak Djokovic at the Davis Cup Finals as being crucial.

Sinner overcame Medvedev in five sets in the final of the 2024 Australian Open last month to claim his first major title. The world No 4 dethroned 10-time champion Djokovic in the semi-finals in Melbourne.

The Italian had a superb end to the 2023 campaign as he claimed titles in Beijing and Vienna in October, before reaching the final of the ATP Finals and leading Italy to the Davis Cup title in November.The 22-year-old defeated Medvedev in the finals of the ATP 500 tournaments in Beijing and Vienna, with the latter a gruelling three-set contest. He had an 0-6 record against the Russian prior to these encounters.In Italy’s Davis Cup quarter-final tie with Serbia the following month, Sinner saved three match points at 4-5, 0-40 in the third set of his crucial second singles rubber victory over Djokovic to keep his nation alive.In an interview with Ubitennis, Krajicek, who is the ATP Rotterdam tournament director, was full of praise when asked for his thoughts on Sinner as a player and person.

“I don’t know him very well, I met him years ago in Monte Carlo when he was very young and [Riccardo] Piatti told me: “this will be a champion”, and he was right,” the 52-year-old said.“I know that he participated in an event in the centre of Turin with Alcaraz and there was a huge crowd, last year the attention was almost only for Alcaraz. I think the two of them are the most loved young people at the moment.

“I also know his agent well, Lawrence Frankopan, who is a delightful person and only works with players who are equally delightful.”

The Dutchman also argued physical endurance was the only area of Sinner’s game that could be questioned prior to the two huge wins he identified late last year.“As a player, well he’s a great player. The only doubts could have been on a physical level, last year he was tired in Rotterdam for the final the previous week but you could see that in the final against Medvedev his legs didn’t work,” Krajicek continued.

“I think he has had great growth, evident with the victory in Vienna and the match in Davis [Cup] against Djokovic where he won with three match points against him. For me, those two games made it clear that he could win a Slam.”