World No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam winner Jannik Sinner is already one of the most successful tennis players of his generation. With 19 ATP titles, he became the first Italian to reach the top of the rankings and won two Davis Cups with his country. As he attempts to keep making history in tennis, he has revealed who is the ‘best’ player in tennis history.
While discussing how it is like to play against Novak Djokovic in an interview with Eurosport Italy in 2023, he said that the Serbian was the best ever. “You find yourself in front of someone who has won 24 Slams, three out of four this year alone. In terms of results, he is the best that this sport has ever had,” Sinner said.
Apart from Djokovic’s 24 Grand Slam singles titles, the most for any player in the Open Era, he is also the player with the most weeks as World No. 1 (428), as well as the one with the most Masters 1000 titles (40), having won all the tournaments of the circuit.
Despite Djokovic’s experience, Sinner is one of the few players who doesn’t have a negative record against the Serbian. In their eight encounters so far, the Italian has clinched four victories, including one at the Australian Open semifinals in 2024.
Novak Djokovic during the 2025 Australian Open (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Sinner’s doping ban: When is he set to return to the tour?
Despite Sinner’s positive results, he is also at the center of one of the most high-profile anti-doping cases in tennis history as he twice tested positive for small doses of clostebol, a prohibited substance. He was banned for three-months.
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According to the World Anti-Doping Agency, Sinner “had no intent to violate anti-doping rules and gained no competitive advantage.” His explanation is that the contamination was accidental and was due to a massage from a trainer who used the substance after cutting his own finger.
With the ban, Sinner will miss Indian Wells and Miami Open, but he is set to return ahead of the clay season to compete in Roland Garros. However, as he has been dominant on hard courts, he will miss opportunities to keep adding to his legacy, which include two Australian Opens and one US Open.
With a substantial lead over Zverev and Alcaraz at No. 1, Sinner is expected to retain his ranking until his return. If he does, he could extend his reign by another 12 weeks, surpassing Gustavo Kuerten, Andy Murray, and Ilie Nastase to claim the 13th spot on the all-time list.
