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The former tennis player Arnaud Clement analyzed the Australian Open 2024, the tournament that crowned Jannik Sinner as the new champion. In an interview with the French newspaper L'Equipe, Clement spoke not only of the young Italian, but also of the Russian Andrey Rublev.
The French former ass underlined how Rublev has not shown any evolution in his tennis. "I told myself that if there was anyone capable of creating a little surprise it was Sinner. Given his level in 2023 and given his progress, we could see that he was no longer in the same category.
At the end of the year he clearly entered the clan of four, with Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev. Today there is clearly this top 4 well above the rest of the other players. Sinner hits well both forehand and backhand.
At a certain speed you get destroyed, he also improved the second ball. I no longer put Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev or Andrey Rublev in the same category. These guys, I don't see them lifting a Grand Slam trophy yet," he told.
"Rublev's tennis has not undergone any evolution"
Clement then attacked Andrey Rublev, guilty of not showing any progress. "I will take the example of Andrey Rublev, who is ATP No.5. We know how strong he is from the baseline, but his tennis has not undergone any evolution.
He still has the same flaws: the serve, the fact that he almost never reaches the net. Nothing to do with Sinner." said Clement. But why can't Rublev improve his tennis? What's stopping the Russian champion? Andrey has never managed to get beyond the quarterfinals in the Slams.
A tennis player of his talent should have already taken this step, but has not yet succeeded. And to think that Rublev would have tennis suited to fast surfaces. Sinner overcame the previous problems with great improvements, which came after choosing a solid team behind him, therefore having the courage to change, jumping into the dark.
The choice brought the young Italian great results Rublev would perhaps need to have some new additions to his team, in order to develop the skills that still remain hidden. And not only technical, tactical and physical skills, but also mental adaptability, in order to manage emotions and anxieties.
Clement then also focused on Novak Djokovic. "We always wondered who could beat Djokovic. We have a player who just beat him three times on hard courts.
Obviously Djokovic is capable of putting things right again. But if we take a photo of the end of 2023-beginning of 2024, Sinner beat him in matches that really matter, both in the Davis Cup and in Melbourne and also beat him in 5 sets.
There is Djokovic, there is Alcaraz who won Wimbledon, there is Medvedev who should not be forgotten because he is always there. Of course, there's a very interesting Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry ahead for a long time," he explained.