Boris Becker reveals how Jannik Sinner will feel as he bids to become world No 1
Boris Becker believes reaching the world No 1 ranking is a bigger achievement than winning a Grand Slam title.
Former world No 1 Becker claimed an impressive six Grand Slams in a decorated career that included three titles on his beloved Wimbledon Centre Court.
Yet when he looks back on his career, he believes his achievement of climbing to the top of the world rankings was a greater accomplishment than anything else on his tennis journey.
Jannik Sinner is closing in on replacing Novak Djokovic at the top of the ATP Rankings for the first time in his career, with a run to the latter stages of the French Open likely to secure his position as Italy’s first ever world No 1.
Now Becker has revealed how it feels to be closing in on that milestone, with his reflections highlighting the magnitude of the achievement.
“It is a very emotional time for a player if he is involved in the race to be No 1. That’s the Mount Everest of tennis,” said Becker, a Eurosport expert.
“It’s not because you won one or two tournaments, but it’s because you have been the best player over the last 12 months and it is special.
“I rate No 1 bigger than winning Wimbledon or winning the Australian Open because you need more than two good weeks.
“It’s the highest accomplishment and I remember how I felt the night before I made it. I needed to beat Lendl in the final as he was No 1 and I was No 2 at the time.
“It is the most nerve-racking experience and it is also the biggest achievement you can have as a tennis player.”
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Sinner will climb to the top of the ATP Rankings if Djokovic suffers an early exit in Paris, yet there are doubts over his fitness levels after he was forced to withdraw from the Madrid Masters and skip the Rome Masters event entirely with a hip problem.
Sinner struck first in the battle to end the French Open as No 1 when he won his opening match at the French Open against American Christopher Eubank, but he still has work to do to reach the top of the ATP Rankings.
Djokovic, who returned to the top of the rankings in September, now needs to at least reach the final to have any chance of staying as world No 1, but Becker suggests Sinner may be more likely to claim the rankings prize rather than the Roland Garros title.
“Overall, clay for the moment anyway, is not his best surface,” added Becker.
“Hard courts, indoors and grass… yes he is a big threat on those surfaces. On the clay, he has not won a big tournament yet,
“You look last year at Roland Garros and Sinner had a second round loss against Daniel Altmaier in five sets and we don’t know how fit he is right now.
“In best-of-five-set matches over two weeks, there are no shortcuts. You don’t win matches easily and quickly by serving 25 aces. So it will be tough for him.
“If he is fit, maybe he has a chance, but we have some questions around Sinner right now.”
Sinner will join an elite list of tennis great if he can claim the world No 1 ranking and with Djokovic having so many points to defend over the next few months after his remarkable run of success in the second half of 2023, it may now be a matter of when and not if he claims top spot for the first time.
