Adriano Panatta has declared that Jannik Sinner possesses a mentality “that allows him to no longer fear anyone” and likened his mindset to that of tennis legend Rafael Nadal.
The 1976 French Open champion described Sinner as “cold” and lauded his fellow Italian as a “complete tennis player” following his stunning triumph at the Australian Open.
Sinner came back from two sets down to defeat world No 3 Daniil Medvedev in the final of the 2024 Australian Open on Sunday to claim his maiden Grand Slam title.
The world No 4, who was playing in his first major final, prevailed 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 against 2021 US Open champion and five-time Grand Slam finalist Medvedev in Melbourne.
The 22-year-old stunned world No 1 and 10-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals to become the first player to beat the great Serb at the event since 2018.
Sinner also became just the third Italian man to win a Grand Slam singles title after Nicola Pietrangeli and Panatta, who both triumphed at the French Open.
Speaking following Sinner’s victory at the Australian Open, Panatta – a member of Italy’s 1976 Davis Cup winning squad – assessed why his young compatriot had won in Melbourne.
“Because he now serves like the best hitters on the circuit and has a response worthy of Djokovic,” the former world No 4 said, as reported by Corriere della Sera.
“He is a complete tennis player, with a mentality that allows him to no longer fear anyone. He is cold, he does not tremble at anything. The head: everything comes from the head.
“From that point of view, Jannik reminds me of Nadal, someone who doesn’t give up a 15, who fights on the first ball of the match as if it were the last. And the nice thing is that, at 22 years old, he still has a lot of room for improvement.
“Jannik is an excellent export product of our country, he only transmits values: he is polite, intelligent, respectful of everyone, with a sense of humour, which doesn’t hurt. He is a decent person, never over the top.
“Even those who believe that tennis is played with a spoon [are talking about him]! But a tennis champion who brings good messages is good for everyone. His example helps society.”