24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic has challenged World No.1 Jannik Sinner to maintain his peak performance for many years, as the Serb and his great rivals have done. Sinner was the benchmark of men’s tennis in 2024, becoming the No.1 player in the world and winning two Grand Slam titles.

However, reaching the top is one thing, and maintaining that level is another. Djokovic emphasized this point, drawing from his own experience of sustained success. In a recent interview, he praised Sinner for his historic 2024 season but believes the Italian has the potential to achieve even more.

Sinner and Djokovic faced each other twice on the ATP Tour in 2024, with the Italian winning both matches. Sinner ended Djokovic’s reign at the Australian Open in January and defeated him again in the finals of the Shanghai Masters in October.

Sinner also made history by becoming only the second player outside the ‘Big 4’ to finish the season as World No.1 since 2004. The first was his great rival, Carlos Alcaraz, who achieved the same milestone in 2022.

Momentum can play a huge role in a rivalry, and Jannik Sinner is proof of that. The Italian has had an incredible turnaround against Daniil Medvedev in 2024, winning five of their six ATP matches this year.

This success has flipped their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, which Sinner now leads 8-7. Earlier in his career, he had lost his first six meetings with Medvedev, making this comeback even more impressive.

Sinner’s biggest win came in the Australian Open final, where he earned his first Grand Slam title. He fought back from two sets down to defeat Medvedev in an epic match. The Russian got his only win against Sinner this year at Wimbledon, another five-set thriller.

The pair also met at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, where Sinner won again. However, that match was an exhibition and does not count in the ATP rankings. The Italian’s dominance this year has firmly established him as a top contender.