Jannik Sinner began his Shanghai Masters title protection with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Daniel Altmaier. After the duel, world no. 2 took a reflective second to reward Novak Djokovic and his ongoing affect on the game.
The Italian turned his recreation to the legend and hailed the Serb's eternal legacy. The 2 rivals share the identical half of the attract Shanghai, and we might see their duel within the semi-final, a 12 months after they fought within the title conflict.
Sinner expressed admiration for the 24-time Main champion, emphasizing the privilege of competing in an period the place the Serb nonetheless pushes the boundaries of excellence and reaches one Main semi-final after one other.
Jannik Sinner 🤝 Novak Djokovic#Wimbledon | @janniksin | @DjokerNole pic.twitter.com/17GoRwYYx8
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 24, 2025
For the 24-year-old, sharing the courtroom with the veteran looks like a privilege and a testomony to the game's richness. Jannik and Novak share certainly one of tennis' most compelling rivalries.
Their encounters present a mixture of high-level depth and mutual respect regardless the scoreboard. Sinner credited Djokovic's presence for elevating tennis, inspiring a brand new technology whereas chasing historical past.
From their gripping ATP Finals, Masters 1000 and Main encounters, the 2 have developed a dynamic constructed on fixed evolution. Regardless of struggling 5 straight losses to the four-time Main winner, Novak is raring to problem Jannik once more, if doable already in Shanghai.
The Serb supplied his fortieth Shanghai Masters victory with a hard-fought 7-6, 6-4 conquer Marin Cilic within the oldest match in Masters 1000 historical past. Djokovic is raring to chase a deep run and problem Sinner after falling to him at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
Novak Djokovic, Shanghai Masters 2025© Stream screenshot
For Jannik, Novak's presence on the massive stage at 38 serves as a benchmark and an inspiration for him and whole youthful technology. As they want to meet within the semi-final, the 2 champions proceed to symbolize totally different levels of greatness.
For the Serb, it's about enduring mastery and an opportunity to problem a lot youthful rivals on the most important levels. For the Italian, it's abut rising brilliance and extra notable trophies in his rising rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz.
Jannik's gratitude displays a torch-passing narrative as followers await a possible semi-final conflict that would mix legacy and innovation.
"It's nice to be in the identical match with Novak. It's an amazing honor for me to compete whereas he continues his profession, and it's unbelievable for our sport that he stays within the recreation," Jannik Sinner mentioned.
