Tennis News: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Jannik Sinner
- Djokovic gets accused of something silly
- Nadal, Sinner, and others learn their Six Kings draw
By Lee Vowell
Former top-ten player Adriano Panatta likes to talk. Sometimes it seems as if he is speaking just so he can hear his own voice. Taking him seriously at times can be difficult, and yet here we are. Another article about Panatta being ridiculous because he wants to get some attention. We are clearly giving him that based on something he recently said about Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic did not win a Grand Slam in 2024, though he did win Olympic gold. He also played Jannik Sinner in the final of the Shanghai Masters, where the Serb lost in straight sets. This was the third time in their last four meetings that Djokovic had lost to the Italian. But according to Panatta, Djokovic did not just lose. He gave up.
Speaking to Italian website Corriere delio Sport, Panatta said, "(Djokovic) played well but for exactly one hour. After the first set, there was no more match, so I think that Djokovic also resigns himself to giving up."
Adriano Panatta trashes Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal learns his fate
Of course, this is, well...stupid. Djokovic has won 24 Grand Slam titles and 40 Masters 1000 events, so giving up is not in his nature. Panatta should know this, but he only won one major title, so he probably doesn't understand how the mind of a true all-time great player works. Maybe he is only thinking of his own experience of "giving up" because Djokovic has no history of doing that.
In other Novak Djokovic-related news, he will participate in the Six Kings tournament from October 16 through 19. The other players involved are Holger Rune, Rafael Nadal, Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Daniil Medvedev. Nadal and Djokovic, as they and tennis fans officially learned on Tuesday, will get a first-round bye at the event.
Next. Coco Gauff and Matt Daly seem like a perfect match. Coco Gauff and Matt Daly seem like a perfect match. dark
Meanwhile, Sinner will play Medvedev, and Alcaraz will take on poor Rune. Rune, compared to the others, has no real business being involved in the tournament. He has never reached the final of a major, and he only has one Masters 1000 win (Paris in 2022). His success pales in comparison to every other player, and he will likely be smashed by Alcaraz.
Whoever does win the event will receive $6 million for doing so. That is an all-time record for a tennis tournament. Just for showing up, the players will get $1.5 million.
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