Jannik Sinner identifies Daniil Medvedev as key rival for growth: “He made me adapt my game”

Jannik Sinner admitted to feeling fearful about his colleagues' reactions following the doping case he was involved in a few months ago. The World No. 1 opened up in an honest interview with Esquire, where he also revealed that Daniil Medvedev was the rival who pushed him to improve his game and helped him take a tactical step forward.

The Italian tested positive twice for Clostebol in March during Indian Wells, but after his appeal, the ITIA cleared him of any fault or negligence, avoiding a suspension. The information only became public in August during the Cincinnati Open, and Sinner recalled the anxiety he felt upon returning to the locker room after the case.

Sinner reveals the rival who transformed his game after a difficult doping saga

Sinner’s controversial doping case was undoubtedly one of the key talking points of the 2024 ATP season. The Italian faced both criticism and support within the tennis world. Although he was confident in his innocence, Sinner confessed to feeling "fearful" when re-entering the locker room.

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In a recent interview with Esquire, the two-time Grand Slam champion reflected on the difficult months he endured after learning about the positive tests for Clostebol. “It was a tough time,” Sinner admitted. “I couldn’t talk to anyone about it. I couldn’t vent or get help. All the people who knew me and watched me play understood that there was something wrong with me.

“I had sleepless nights because even if you are certain of your innocence, you know that these things are complex. Everyone immediately told the truth, and that allowed me to play. But at Wimbledon, I was white.”

“And even afterwards, my feeling with people was fearful. I went into training at the Cincinnati clubhouse and thought, ‘How are they looking at me? What do they really think of me?’ I realised who my real friends are,” he added. “I have grown so much this year, both mentally and physically.”

Sinner won the Cincinnati Open after defeating Frances Tiafoe in the final (7-6, 6-2).

On the other hand, the Italian reflected on his remarkable rise on the tour during 2024. In an extraordinary season, he secured 73 wins and only 6 losses, claiming a total of 8 titles, including two Grand Slam titles, three Masters 1000s, and the ATP Finals.

Sinner pinpointed Daniil Medvedev as the rival who forced him to adapt his game to achieve victory. The Russian held a 6-0 record against Sinner until late 2023, when the Italian finally broke through with a win in the Beijing Open final. Since then, Sinner has won 8 of their last 9 encounters, taking a lead in their head-to-head with an 8-6 record (5-1 in 2024).

“My tennis is versatile, but, for example, I still don’t know how to play the net game well,” he commented. “A player who has made me grow a lot is Medvedev. I had never done serve-and-volley, and he forced me to practise that to try to beat him. Against some players, I have to do more of a long backhand.”

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“In tennis, you learn from your relationship with your opponent. The real question for the player is: how do I get into the opponent’s head? If you guess the answer, things in the match change.”

He also mentioned the losses he suffered against the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic as a motivation to improve. “For me, losing often to Novak Djokovic taught me a lot. It’s good for you; it wakes you up. In football, you might play against Ronaldo and realise you have to prepare better next time. But when is the next time? In tennis, we have more opportunities to make up for it.”