NDjokovic like this was in November last year over Janika Siner won the Final Masters and saddened the audience in Turin, the same month the Italian avenged him in the semi-finals of the Davis Cup and then announced a phenomenal 2024.
The boy from South Tyrol defeated the most trophy-winning tennis player of all time in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, to defeat him in the battle for the cup at the Masters in Shanghai - 7:6, 6:3, for the third victory in a row against the tennis legend, by 4:4 in mutual duels.
- This was a very difficult match, obviously one of the most difficult challenges we have in tennis is to play against Novak - said Siner.
Journalists were interested in how he managed to find a recipe for Đoković, especially when it is known that the man who won everything and who is a symbol of turnaround in the last seven sets against Siner did not take a single break, while in the last six he did not even have a break chance.
- I can't tell you what the secret is, because Novak has no weaknesses. You have to try to take advantage of the small opportunities he gives you, even though there aren't many of them during the match - Siner added after his fourth win in the last five duels with Djokovic.
In addition to being "accustomed" to winning against the best, the Italian is also getting used to trophies, so in the largest Chinese city he reached his seventh title in 2024 - along with two Grand Slams (Australian and US Open) and Shanghai, he celebrated more in Rotterdam, Miami, Halle and Cincinnati.
The new champion of Shanghai thus became the first tennis player since 2016. i Andy Murray who won more than six major tournaments in one year.
What should worry Siner is a rival from his generation, since against Carlos Alkaras this year, the score is 0:3.
Maybe Siner's fall was expected after the recent stories about doping, but he came out of everything even more motivated, and since then he has recorded 18 wins and a loss - he won the US Open and Shanghai, while he reached the final in Beijing.
And while he further improved his performance this year, Siner at the same time stopped Djokovic from becoming only the third tennis player in history with 100 (or more) tournament wins, so they are the only two who have crossed the "hundred" mark. Jimmy Connors i Roger Federer.
- I haven't played in China for five years, but I think I played really good tennis on my return. Certainly, first of all I have to congratulate Janik. He was just too good in the final - too strong and too fast. He is having an incredible year and deserves all of this - Djokovic said.
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