Jannik Sinner again told he will not break icon’s ‘unbeatable’ record
Jannik Sinner has been told it will take him “three of four lives” to beat some of Italian icon Nicola Pietrangeli’s records – by the man himself.
Sinner has recently concluded a 2024 season that has seen him break new ground at both a national and international level.
The 23-year-old is the first Italian, male or female, to reach world No 1 in the singles ranking, while he is also the first Italian man to win both the Australian Open and US Open titles.
Sinner joins Pietrangeli in winning two Grand Slam singles titles, with the 91-year-old having won the French Open – then called the French Championships – in 1959 and 1960.
It seems probable that the 23-year-old will eclipse Pietrangeli’s record of two major titles and also his record of four major finals, having reached further Roland Garros finals in 1961 and 1964.
However, Pietrangeli holds the record for the most Davis Cup rubbers played, with 164 matches in the competition under his belt – while his total of 120 wins is also a tournament record.
The tennis icon, whom the centre court of the Italian Open is named after, believes this record will not only elude Sinner but the rest of the ATP Tour.
“Rankings are done at the end of a career,” said Pietrangeli.
“It will take Sinner and the others three or four lives to beat all my records. Especially since I have one that is unbeatable – that of the 164 matches played in the Davis Cup.
“That said, to beat all my records, he is on the right track. For heaven’s sake, he is only 23 years old. Except for the number of matches played, of course. You can’t touch that.”
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It is not the first time that Pietrangeli has made this claim, commenting after Sinner’s Australian Open win in January that “to beat my record, however, it will take him two lifetimes.”
Pietrangeli did not win the Davis Cup final as a player, losing the 1960 and 1961 finals as part of Team Italy, though was the captain when the nation won the title for the first time in 1976.
Italy has gone on to win the Davis Cup title for the past two seasons, with Sinner a key architect in both triumphs.
This year the world No 1 went unbeaten in singles action at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga and sealed victory in the final with a decisive rubber victory over Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands.
Sinner lost just six of 79 matches throughout 2024, with a win percentage of 92.4% the ninth-highest achieved by a man since the start of the Open Era in 1968.
Alongside his Grand Slam triumphs, the 23-year-old won eight titles from nine ATP finals and was also a French Open semi-finalist and Wimbledon quarter-finalist.
