"Still works for Roger Federer LLC, embarrassing" - Swiss' ex-coach saying Jannik Sinner was 'tired' in ATP Finals loss to Novak Djokovic annoys fans

Roger Federer's former coach, Ivan Ljubicic, has sparked outrage among tennis fans by attributing Jannik Sinner's loss to Novak Djokovic in the 2023 ATP Finals final to fatigue.

Sinner achieved a significant milestone during the group stage of the ATP Finals by securing his first-ever win over Djokovic. However, he couldn't replicate his success in the final, where the Serb delivered a commanding performance, winning 6-3, 6-3, and clinching his record seventh title at the year-end championships.

Ljubicic recently expressed his admiration for Sinner's remarkable progress in recent months. He also claimed that the Italian's defeat to Djokovic in the ATP Finals final was a result of him being "very tired" from his three-set victory over Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals.

"At the end of 2022, I said that I regretted that Jannik had not played important matches against the biggest players. Now he has nothing more to learn. He started by winning his first Masters 1000, then he beat all the world No. 1’s," he said, via Italian outlet Tuttosport.

"He reached the final in Turin and lost it because he was very tired after a difficult semi‐final against Medvedev. But when he left the court, his mind was already on the team and the Davis Cup," he added.

Several fans vehemently rejected Ljubicic's remarks, questioning why the 36-year-old Serb wasn't perceived as exhausted while the 22-year-old Sinner was.

"So the 36 years old player who played two +3 hours matches against Rune and Rublev in Bercy and then Rune in turin and played against sinner , hurkacz, alcaraz and sinner again in 5 days wasn't tired but the 22 years old player ( who left Bercy to prepare for turin ) was tired!!" one fan posted.

"One guy is 36 btw and the other is 22 about to hit his prime," another fan chimed in.

One user suggested that Ljubicic's connection with Federer had influenced his "embarrassing" statement.

"Ljubicic still works for Federer LLC. This is embarrasing," the user commented.

Here are some other reactions, as found on X (formerly Twitter):

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"If Jannik Sinner were to beat him two or three more times in 2024, he would become Novak Djokovic's nightmare" - Adriano Panatta

Sinner and Djokovic at the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals

Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner locked horns on four occasions this season, with both players winning two matches each. However, it was the Italian who emerged victorious in two of their three most recent encounters.

Following his straight-sets loss to Djokovic in the ATP Finals final, Sinner redeemed himself by saving three match points en route to his victory over the Serb in the Davis Cup semifinals. Subsequently, the 22-year-old led Italy to their first Davis Cup title since 1976.

In a recent interview, former Italian player Adriano Panatta expressed his belief that if Sinner defeats Djokovic a few more times next year, he could potentially push the Serb towards retirement.

"In my opinion, if Sinner were to beat him two or three more times in 2024, he would become Djokovic's nightmare, pushing him towards retirement. History teaches and usually repeats itself. Borg quit with the arrival of McEnroe, McEnroe retired when Becker arrived," he told Rai News 24..

Despite his recent losses against Sinner, the 24-time Grand Slam champion enjoys a 4-2 lead in their overall head-to-head record.