Jannik Sinner rules on hard-courts with sensational data



by LORENZO CIOTTI

Jannik Sinner rules on hard-courts with sensational data
© Daniel Pockett / Stringer Getty Images Sport

Jannik Sinner rewrote the history of Italian tennis, winning the Australian Open 2024, his first Slam title, capping six crazy months, in which he made truly significant improvements. His victory in Melbourne definitively establishes his entry among the legends of tennis and, at 22 years old, Jannik can only improve further.

Many were hoping for an exploit from him in 2024, especially thanks to the great finish of last season: the numbers and data have certified a tremendous growth. Sinner, on the other hand, defeated the competition and triumphed, even beating three Top-5 players during the tournament.

Sinner proved to be the strongest, achieving the most difficult feat in the semi-final. Jannik beat the reigning champion and ten-time champion in Melbourne, Novak Djokovic, destroying him in four sets.

Sinner
Sinner© Daniel Pockett / Stringer Getty Images Sport
 

One of the most impressive facts of this match concerns the fact that Sinner did not even grant a break point to his more experienced opponent, a monstrous thing, considering that it had never happened to Nole in his career, especially in his beloved Melbourne.

But there is another extraordinary data which testifies to the dominance of the Italian tennis player in the first Slam of the season. As reported by the X channel OptaAce, Sinner was the tennis player with the best percentage of break points saved at the Australian Open 2024.

Jannik has saved 34 of the 40 break points conceded and has the best average ahead of Casper Ruud, Nuno Borges and Cameron Norrie. A percentage of 85%: truly frightening numbers, which testify to the great result of the young talent.

The data are on Jannik's side who for the moment remains number four in the world but who has great room for improvement and no longer sees the number one position in the rankings so far away (now around 1500 points).

But Jannik has super data even on hard-courts

The Italian tennis player's exponential growth path began in 2022, when, by reaching the quarter-finals three times in the Slams, he projected himself into the upper reaches of the ATP world ranking.

Then the definitive explosion in 2023, with four titles won, including the first ATP Master 1000 in Toronto, all on hard courts, the semi-final at Wimbledon, the final of the ATP Finals lost to Novak Djokovic and the historic triumph in the Davis Cup, which they earned him fourth position in the ATP world ranking.

Then this year the icing on the cake, the consecration, the entry into the coveted club of Slam winners, with the conquest of the Australian Open. Extraordinary and unique results, which see Sinner leading a special ranking with great distance.

There is another data that sheds light on Jannik's progress. The 22-year-old is the tennis player who has won the most matches on hard courts from January 2023 to today. Sinner has in fact won 58 successes in just over a year on the hard courts, a surface that facilitates his overflowing game.

Chasing him is his opponent in the final of the Australian major Daniil Medvedev, 3 games behind and who, with a possible success in the last act, could have gone to -1. Last step of the podium occupied by Novak Djokovic, another victim of the Italian tennis player in his triumphant path in Melbourne, stopped at 47.

Fourth place is occupied by Alex De Minaur (46), while in the top ten we also find Taylor Fritz, Hubert Hurkacz, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Adrian Mannarino, Tommy Paul and Ugo Humbert. Surprisingly outside the Top 10 Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune.

A further demonstration of Sinner's dominance on this surface, which probably makes him the player to beat in the next hard-court events. But given the results obtained also on grass and clay, Sinner becomes a player who scares everyone.

Now, after the success of the Australian Open, what are Sinner's plans for the next few months? When will the Melbourne champion return to the field? What are the next tournaments you will play? Let's try to draw a picture of the situation of the South Tyrolean's next events up to Wimbledon.

The planning at the beginning of the year included participation in the ATP 250 tournament in Marseille for next week from 5 to 11 February but, after the triumphant ride in Melbourne, Sinner preferred to avoid it. Sinner, on the other hand, should play in the week from 12 to 18 February in the ATP 500 tournament in Rotterdam in which last year he reached the final, defeated by Medvedev.

There are no other tournaments scheduled in February. In March the world number 4 will fly to the United States and play both Sunshine Double tournaments. It starts from 6 to 17 March with the Master 1000 in Indian Wells and then continues with the other Master 1000 in Miami which is scheduled in Florida from 20 to 31 March with the final on Easter Sunday.

Jannik Sinner