Sinner calls Djokovic 'a true role model for all of us'

Jannik Sinner advanced to his first Roland Garros final on Friday when he ousted three-time tournament winner Novak Djokovic. The Italian controlled nearly the entirety of the match, and maintained his focus remarkably well to eliminate the 100-time tour level titlist.

Sinner knew the danger who stood across the net and made clear how much respect he has for Djokovic, who after their clash admitted, “This could have been the last match ever I played here”.

“I saw him practising yesterday, or [a] couple of days ago. He's very precise in everything he does. It's a true role model for all of us,” Sinner said. “But if that's the case, I'm happy to be part of this, because it's a part of history also.”

The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings has had a close-up view of Djokovic since before he broke onto the ATP Tour. When Sinner was younger, he trained with Riccardo Piatti and spent time in Monaco with Djokovic. The three-time major champion learned a lot from the Serbian.

“Many things, because I was lucky enough to practise with him when I was very young. In Monaco we practised a lot,” Sinner said. “Every time when I asked questions, he answered me in a very honest way.”

The 23-year-old raved about Djokovic’s kindness and how helpful the Serbian is. He also addressed the question of how similar their games might be.

“I have learned many things from him. I feel like my game style, it's not the same, because we are different, but at times similar. So I have watched a lot with his videos,” Sinner said. “I was lucky that I could share the court with him some times ago in matches that you see things, how work, and if they work well or not.

“He's very important for me as a player and also as a person. I really appreciate his kind words, because it means that I'm most improving as a player, which as I said before, is the most important part.”

The pair’s semi-final clash finished in straight sets. But the encounter was far from straightforward.

Djokovic, who is now 21-8 this season according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, consistently engaged the crowd and was ready to pounce on any opportunity the Italian afforded him. The 24-time major champion even earned three set points in the third set, but was unable to convert.

Sinner remained poised throughout those moments of pressure, which proved key Friday evening, and has been essential during his run to the final.

“There is a lot of stress. It's important to calm down. It's important to take your time. It's important to understand the moments of the match, which I think today I made very good. The mental part was in a good spot today,” Sinner said. “But yeah, it's always very stressful.”

The top seed, who has not lost a set, now leads Djokovic 5-4 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series. The focus will now turn to Sinner’s upcoming showdown with Carlos Alcaraz, but Djokovic was a significant hurdle to clear.

“It's a very difficult challenge. I think we saw that the match was a very tough match for both of us. I tried to stay there, mentally trying to play every point in the right way with the good intensity,” Sinner said. “I’m very, very happy. As I said on court, it's amazing to see him still playing this kind of level he produces, and the physical shape he's in, it's amazing. So that was a very, very tough match, but I'm very happy to be in the final here.”