Jannik Sinner comments on dominance after matching Novak Djokovic mark | Tennis | Sport
Jannik Sinner could soon break Novak Djokovic’s record (Image: Getty)
Tennis world number 2 Jannik Sinner has admitted he has to be ‘very careful’ despite extending a dominant run with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Damir Dzumhur at the Miami Open. The Italian star earned a place in the third round at the Hard Rock Stadium following his straight-sets victory and equalled a Novak Djokovic record.
Sinner has now won 24 consecutive sets at the Masters 1000 level and will have the opportunity to surpass Djokovic’s mark when he faces Corentin Moutet. The 24-year-old is on a 12-match win streak after tasting success at the Paris Masters and at Indian Wells.
Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have proven to be a dominant force in tennis and have won the last nine Grand Slam titles, with Djokovic taking the success before that at the 2023 US Open. Despite his current record, Sinner played down the perception of his superiority.
Speaking to Tennis Channel, he said: “There are many players coming up, and also players who have been on tour for a while. I don’t like to name names, but people are very close.
“Even if it looks like I’ve been winning and others too, the gap is not that big. We have to be very careful and keep improving.”
Instead, the four-time Grand Slam winner is more focused on his play and wants to make a big push to improve his abilities. “I focus more on myself, what I have to do,” he said.
“When I look at my matches, I still see many areas where I can improve. That’s something positive for me as a player. We try to take it day by day, with recovery but also keeping a good feeling on the court, and then we’ll see how it goes.”
Nevertheless, Sinner was pleased to get through his first match in Miami. “The first match is never easy. I haven’t had a lot of time to adjust here,” he said.
“It was raining a lot over the past couple of days, so yesterday we got lucky to have one hour straight on the court. First-round matches are never easy in any case. I’m very happy with today’s performance, and now we’ll see what’s coming.”
EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
Jannik Sinner got off to a winning start in Miami (Image: Getty)
Former world number four Holger Rune recently expressed his belief that he can disrupt the dominance of Sinner and Alcaraz. The 22-year-old has been out of action due to an Achilles injury but has a dead-even record of 2-2 with Alcaraz and a narrow losing record of 2-3 with Sinner.
“It gives me the belief that I know I can do it, and every time I step [on court] against them, I know I have a chance to beat them. And I know that both of them find it uncomfortable to play me, so that’s extra motivation for me,” Rune said on the Tales from Tennis podcast.
“And yeah, I always had great matches with Jannik, even before he turned out as a Grand Slam champion; he was always an incredible player. I think it’s always been an exciting matchup with me and both of them.
“So, for my case, it’s about being as consistent as to do it every week to give myself the chance to play them much more often. And I think that would also make my level increase a lot, because they get to challenge themselves almost every week against each other.
