Tennis legend Mats Wilander believes that Serbia’s Novak Djokovic remains the best player in the world despite Italy’s Jannik Sinner becoming the new world number one.
The 37-year-old is often regarded as the greatest player in the history of men’s tennis in the Open era, having won as many as 24 Grand Slam titles.
Djokovic is going through a lean patch this season. He has yet to play in the final of any event. That streak continued during the French Open when he was forced to withdraw just before the start of the quarterfinal against Norway’s Casper Ruud.
Because of that, Djokovic ended up losing the top spot to Sinner, who will be officially crowned the new world number one in men’s tennis once the rankings are updated after the French Open.
Former world number one Wilander, while talking to French media outlet L’Equipe as quoted by Tennis 365, admitted that Sinner is having a great season but suggested that for him, Djokovic will remain the best player in the world, with or without number one rank.
“I know very well that Sinner has just had an exceptional first part of the season and that the computer is not lying,” he said. “But I also don’t forget that Novak remains the defending champion at the US Open and the Masters (ATP Finals), and that he was a finalist at Wimbledon a year ago. As long as he is there, for me, he remains the best.”
Sinner is going through a fabulous season where he won his maiden Grand Slam after beating Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the final in a five-set thriller with a score of 3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–3.
The San Candido-born recently participated at the Roland Garros, where his journey finally came to an end in the semifinal when he lost to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz with a score of 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
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