"Could already see back then he's timing the ball so well": Novak Djokovic remembers curly red haired 14-year-old Jannik Sinner

Prior to winning his first Grand Slam title at the 2024 Australian Open, Jannik Sinner had already flashed potential in the eyes of 10-time Melbourne champion, Novak Djokovic.

The Italian defeated Djokovic en route to winning his maiden Major title, prevailing over Daniil Medvedev in a stunning final that saw the Russian squander a two-sets-to-love lead. Sinner's determination and skill were on full display, as his defense and shot-making ability kept him in the match long enough to frustrate the Russian and ensure his comeback victory.

In a clip posted to the official TennisTV social media account, the Serbian was asked for his opinion on Sinner. This was done prior to the Australian Open, and Djokovic had a lot of praise for the Italian and his coaching team.

"Well, I see someone that has been knocking on the door of a Grand Slam final for a really few years, someone that has completed his game so well," Djokovic said to TennisTV. "Darren Cahill, great team, great coach, he's as professional, as dedicated as you can get in the tennis world, very nice guy.
"I've known him since he was very young and we trained at the Piatti Tennis Academy in Italy, when Piatti was his coach, so I remember him when he had this curly kind of red hair as a 14-year-old, and you could already see back then that he's timing the ball so well."