How Jannik Sinner’s ‘first strike’ tactic has given him an edge over Novak Djokovic
Jannik Sinner is up to No 2 in the live ATP rankings and if he wins the Indian Wells Masters for the first time, he will remain in that career-high position.
That would be fitting for a player who has given world No 1 Novak Djokovic more trouble than most in recent months, with the Italian winning three of his last four matches against the 24-time Grand Slam king.
Sinner’s victory over Djokovic in the Australian Open semi-finals led some pundits to suggest he had witnessed a changing of the guard at the top of men’s tennis.
Yet it is far too early to suggest Sinner has cracked the code for beating Djokovic after just a handful of wins.
What is clear is the strategy Sinner used to put Djokovic under pressure is reaping rewards, with the ATP releasing some compelling data that reveals the Italian is doing his best to strike early against his iconic rival.
In what is described as Sinner’s ‘first strike success’, the ATP stats confirm the latest Grand Slam champion is having great success by keeping points short and playing on his on terms.
The ATP broke down points into these three categories:
0-4 Shots (First Strike)
5-8 Shots (Patterns Of Play)
9+ Shots (Extended Rallies)
They then revealed that Sinner dominated in the first of those three categories in his semi-final win against Djokovic at the Australian Open and then in the final against Daniil Medvedev:
READ MORE: Novak Djokovic made to wait for Jannik Sinner rematch after enticing Indian Wells draw
Sinner Total Points Played vs. Djokovic & Medvedev
0-4 Shots = 56%
5-8 Shots = 26%
9+ Shots = 18%
While Djokovic and Medvedev may be keen to get Sinner engaged in long rallies as they would back themselves to beat him in extended exchanges, it is clear that the Italian’s power-packed and much-improved serve is cutting down their chances to strike back at him when he is serving.
Sinner has then taken his game to the next level with his return of serve, as his power-packed forehand has clearly given Djokovic real trouble in recent matches.
Interestingly, Djokovic and Medvedev still had the edge over Sinner in longer rallies, as any point that included five or more shots saw the duo come out on top against Sinner.
Now the tennis world is waiting for the next Djokovic vs Sinner showdown, but we will have to wait until the final at Indian Wells to see that match-up once again.
When it happens, there is no doubt Djokovic will be eager to banish the notion that the Italian now has the upper hand on him.
“I still have high hopes for the other Slams, Olympics, and whatever tournaments that I’ll play. It’s just the beginning of the season,” said Djokovic after he lost to Sinner at the Australian Open.
“It’s not the feeling that I’m used to. It has been incredibly satisfying for me to start off most of my seasons with a Grand Slam win and never losing in the semis or final of the Australian Open.
“So this time it’s a bit different, but it is what it is. This tournament hasn’t been up to my standard or the level that I would normally play or expect myself to play.
“But it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the beginning of the end as some people like to call it.”
Sinner has also played down his perceived dominance over Djokovic as he stated: “Tennis is interesting because, as you can see, every day is different.
“I believe that he makes me a better player like all the other players have done who I lost to. I now have to work on this.”
