"We have seen the difference in Jannik Sinner; he learned from his mistakes" - Novak Djokovic hails Italian as the 'best player in the world'

Novak Djokovic has hailed Jannik Sinner as the best men's tennis player in the world at the moment.

Sinner has been in imperious form so far this season, winning 22 out of 23 matches played. The Italian's sole defeat came in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open, where he lost to rival Carlos Alcaraz.

The 22-year-old won the Australian Open, the Miami Open and the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam. Sinner's performances have resulted in him reaching a career-best ranking of World No. 2.

In a recent interview ahead of the Monte-Carlo Masters, Djokovic was asked about his thoughts on the Italian's rise. The Serb called him is the best player in the world at present while also saying that he learnt from his mistakes and started winning the big matches more consistently.

"Jannik is currently the best player in the world. He only lost one match. He has improved in all areas of his game. He moves better, he is very present mentally. In important matches, we have seen the difference in Jannik over the past six months. He wins the big matches. He learned from his mistakes and he is very present in important moments," Djokovic told L'Equipe.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner also pointed out that Sinner continues to be as aggressive as he was before, but makes fewer errors overall.

"We all knew that he could hit hard, forehand and backhand, that he loved to be aggressive in dictating the points. He still does that but with fewer errors, more margin. This is a very big development from a technical and tactical point of view. He plays incredible tennis," Djokovic added.

Jannik Sinner has defeated Novak Djokovic in three out of their last four meetings

Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic at the 2024 Australian Open

Prior to the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin, Sinner had lost all of his three matches against Djokovic. The pair's first clash came at the 2021 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, which the Serb won in straight sets.

Next time around though, the Italian pushed Djokovic to his limits in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. After five grueling sets, Djokovic emerged victorious. Their third meeting came in the semifinals of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, which marked another straight-sets win for the 24-time Grand Slam winner.

However, in the Round Robin phase of the 2023 ATP Finals, Sinner finally managed to win against Djokovic. The Serb would go on to defeat the Italian in the final of the prestigious year-end event.

Sinner won against Djokovic again at the Davis Cup on his way to lifting the title for Italy. At this year's Australian Open, the Serb was no match for the clinical Italian, who would eventually land his maiden Grand Slam title.