Spanish legend Rafael Nadal’s uncle and former coach, Toni Nadal, has recently shared his thoughts on the Serbian legend Novak Djokovic, in comparison to Jannik Sinner, and their elite playing styles. The Italian star is currently playing at the 2025 ATP Finals, where he defeated Félix Auger-Aliassime in his opening match.
Toni Nadal Reflects on Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner’s Differing Play Styles
Toni is considered one of the most decorated coaches in the history of the sport, having won multiple notable achievements while mentoring Nadal. He coached him until 2017, after which Nadal added more titles to his growing list, eventually retiring with 92 ATP Tour singles titles and 22 major titles.
Now, during an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Toni reflected on his thoughts on the playing form of Djokovic and Sinner.
“I think Djokovic is a bit more complete. Sinner has more speed in his shots, Nole a bit more touch. They both have in common the fact that they always impose a high pace and have exceptional ball control, with extremely high-level movement.”
He continued, “Jannik plays with a very defined pattern: he imposes a very fast pace from the start, which is difficult for anyone to keep up with.”
In his current season, Sinner has won five titles, including the China Open, Vienna Open, Paris Masters, Wimbledon Championship, and successfully defended his Australian Open title. He was the second player to qualify for the ATP Finals and will face Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton in his next matches.
On the other hand, Djokovic has won two titles this season: the Gonet Geneva Open and the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Hellenic Championship. He also qualified for the ATP Finals but later withdrew from the competition.
Meanwhile, during the same interview, Toni also shared his thoughts regarding the ATP Finals. “Obviously, the big favorites are still Alcaraz and Sinner. Jannik has played at a very high level in recent tournaments, and I think he can start in Turin a bit ahead of Carlos, who honestly seems a little less comfortable on this fast surface. It will certainly be a great match, not to be missed.”
Sinner’s on-court rival, Carlos Alcaraz, has defeated Alex de Minaur in his opening match and will next face Taylor Fritz and then Lorenzo Musetti in the group stage matches.