Jannik Sinner pulled off a sporting miracle as he came back from three match points down to beat Novak Djokovic at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.
When he then backed up that remarkable achievement by winning the decisive doubles to send Italy through to the final of the competition expense of Serbia, he had achieved a moment in tennis folklore that will never be forgotten.
It was no surprise that Sinner looked dazed as he walked into the press conference room in Malaga on Saturday evening, as he tried to find the words to sum up his emotions.
“Match of my life, I don’t know, but it’s for sure very, very important,” he declared.
“You know, as I say, it helps a lot the last competition that it’s a team competition, because you get a lot of energy from your teammates, from the whole team, and then the crowd is different.
“I really enjoyed playing today. It was a great match. I started off really well, and in the second set, he raised his level. For the third set I just tried to hold my service games and waited for a good opportunity, which arrived on the 5-5, and I took it. Obviously, it was a very crucial match for the whole team.
“At the end of the match, I was really happy for the team to be at least able to play a deciding doubles. You know, we played really good, and I think it was a really positive day today.”
Sinner also reflected on the key moments in the match, including the three match points he saved at 5-4 on his own serve and his success in winning the match a few minutes later.
“We changed, not for so long, for new balls, so I knew if I’m going to serve well that maybe I have some free points,” he added.
“I had to stay in the present moment. It was Love-40, and he missed a quite easy backhand, which gave me a little bit of confidence and belief.
“It means a lot. Obviously before the match we were talking that it was a really important test today, you know, trying to understand what to expect before the match.
“Then I think we made a good tactical moment also before the match, and then obviously playing it is a little bit different but I think I have to be really proud about how I handle the situation. As I said, I’m just very happy for all of us, for the team, and tomorrow we have a great opportunity.
“We know this, but in the other way, we will try to stay as relaxed as possible, you know, keeping a smile in our head, which is important also, and then also to be happy to be here, no?
“For me, it’s the first time that we can play a final in Davis Cup, which means a lot for us.”
Time will tell whether Sinner’s double win over Djokovic at the Davis Cup Finals will leave a lasting scar on the world No 1, but it was clearly a big moment in Sinner’s young career.
The tennis world will be watching when these two great champions face off again in 2024.
