Expert: "By defeating Djokovic, Sinner has a mental advantage over Medvedev"

The men's singles final of the Australian Open tennis tournament, the first Grand Slam in 2024, will take place at 3:30 p.m. this afternoon (January 28, Vietnam time), between two tennis players Jannik Sinner (Italy) and Daniil Medvedev (Russia). Dan Tri will report this match online.

Chuyên gia: — Former General Secretary of the Vietnam Tennis Federation Doan Thanh Tung (standing, Photo: QV).

Before the men's singles final, former General Secretary of the Vietnam Tennis Federation Doan Thanh Tung spoke with Dan Tri reporter about the technical elements of the tournament, as well as the possibilities that could happen in the final match.

Unbelievable surprise

How do you rate the fact that two tennis players Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev reached the final, while Novak Djokovic (Serbia) and Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) were eliminated?

- This is a very surprising result, not only for the 2024 Australian Open, but also for the tennis world in general over the past many years. In particular, Djokovic's elimination before the final of a Grand Slam tournament deserves to be called an event.

However, that is sport , surprises make sport attractive. But big matches are only for a few familiar players, whose results are always predicted correctly by everyone, then what is the attractiveness?

Speaking specifically about Djokovic's failure, you mentioned that Nole will have difficulty going all the way to the end of this year's tournament?

- At the beginning of the tournament, I mentioned that physical factors and age factors will greatly affect Djokovic at the 2024 Australian Open. The weather in Australia currently does not seem to favor Nole. In the land of kangaroos, it is summer, the weather is very hot and humid, easily wearing down the physical strength of an older player (36 years old) like Djokovic.

At this age, Djokovic's recovery rate will be much slower every year than before. But Nole's elimination before the final is still a big surprise, after so many years of people witnessing his dominance.

In contrast to Djokovic is the youthful image of Jinnak Sinner, how do you rate the way Sinner defeated Nole in the semi-finals?

- The way Sinner beat Djokovic in the semi-finals of the 2024 Australian Open is similar to the way Carlos Alcaraz beat Djokovic recently, that is, using a bold style of play, not hesitating to attack to put Djokovic in a difficult position.

Nole is very afraid of players who have a bold playing style, are physically strong, and are not afraid of losing. These players always boldly use difficult shots instead of safe shots.

Djokovic is not afraid of players who play "saw-saw" and like to play the ball safely, but it is different with players who play boldly. That is the reason why Djokovic is often afraid of young players like Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz, who are not afraid of losing.

Generational transfer in the world of tennis

Is Djokovic's defeat at the 2024 Australian Open a milestone signaling the end of the successful period of the generation of legendary tennis players including Novak Djokovic (Serbia), Rafael Nadal (Spain) and Roger Federer (Switzerland)?

- It could be a sign, a sign that is becoming clearer and clearer. The period of dominance of the above legends is gradually over. Djokovic is the longest-lasting of this group of legends, but now Nole is also gradually declining.

The generational transition may have arrived. The new generation is full of talent, with Carlos Alcaraz (20) and Jinnak Sinner (22). They are very good players in their twenties. Perhaps the next few years will see them have more success.

As for the men's singles final between Jinnak Sinner and Daniil Medvedev, who will have the upper hand to win the championship?

- Speaking of Medvedev in particular, he is very good. Medvedev is a tennis player with a very comprehensive playing style. In fact, in recent years, Medvedev has been in the top 10 according to the ATP rankings (world rankings of male tennis players). The Russian tennis player is probably only below the legendary Djokovic, Nadal and Federer in terms of skill.

However, in the upcoming final, I am more inclined towards Jinnak Sinner's victory. He has a very diverse playing style and has a huge mental advantage after defeating Djokovic. Any player who wins against Djokovic will have a clear boost in morale and Sinner is no exception.

Thank you for the conversation!

A few words about the two players who made it to the men's singles final of the 2024 Australian Open

Daniil Medvedev (Russian), 27 years old, 1m98 tall. In his career, Medvedev has won a Grand Slam title, the US Open championship in 2021. At the Australian Open alone, Medvedev has reached the final twice, in 2021 and 2022 (before the 2024 tournament).

Jannik Sinner (Italian), 22 years old, 1m88 tall, started playing professionally in 2018, at the age of 16. This is the first time Jannik Sinner has reached a Grand Slam final. The Italian player's previous best achievement was reaching the semi-finals of Wimbledon 2023.

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