Jannik Sinner has “no weaknesses” and “is more difficult” to beat than 14-time Grand Slam winner Pete Sampras, according to former world No 4 Richard Krajicek.
Sinner is currently the leader of the pack as he will finish the 2024 season as the year-end No 1 in the ATP Rankings following a remarkable campaign.
The 23-year-old won the most titles this year (7) with that tally including his maiden Grand Slam – the Australian Open – the US Open as well as three ATP Masters 1000 trophies while he also became the first Italian to reach No 1 in the rankings.
Incredibly, Sinner has lost only six matches this year with his win-loss record 67-6 and three of those defeats have come against fellow young star Carlos Alcaraz.
Although Sinner is still at the start of his career, Rotterdam Open tournament director Krajicek made a big claim about Sinner and all-time great Sampras in an interview with Super Tennis TV.
“Beating Sinner today is more difficult than beating Sampras when I was playing,” the 1996 Wimbledon stated.
Asked to expand, he replied: “Sampras was an incredible player but I knew that if I could attack him on the backhand I would have a chance to beat him.
“Everyone can do everything and moves very well. I look at them and think: if I played now, how could I beat them? Today Sinner has no weaknesses.”
Despite Sampras’ brilliant career, Krajicek had a 6-4 win-loss against the American with five of his wins coming when Sampras was sitting at No 1 in the rankings.
The Dutchman, who won 17 career titles, believes it was easier to expose players’ weaknesses back in the 90s.
Krajicek added: “They all manage themselves differently. Players have longer careers, have better teams, and in general are much more complete.
“When I played, even the best had weaknesses: the backhand for Sampras, the serve maybe for [Andre] Agassi. I went on court and had the feeling that I could beat anyone, even Sampras who I defeated six times.
“Let’s say I’m happy to have played in the 90s.”Following the Sampras and Agassi eras of the 90s, the Big Three of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic took tennis to the next level as they dominated for the next two decades.
Federer retired in 2022 while Nadal will bow out after the 2024 season, leaving Djokovic as the last man still standing.
There had been concerns about the future of men’s tennis after the Big Three, but Sinner and Alcaraz have proven that the sport will be fine.
“Many wondered what would happen after the era of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and then Sinner and Alcaraz arrived,” Krajicek said.
“There is Alexander Zverev who is No 2 and is playing very well, I think that when he wins his first Slam he will then add others like what happened to [Ivan] Lendl who waited so long to win his first major. I am sure that new stars will arrive, men’s tennis is in good hands. Thanks to these champions tennis is very popular, in every tournament you see more and more fans.”
