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Reuters

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Reuters

Praises don’t stop to be flowing for Jannik Sinner at the moment, do they? And why not? Earlier this month, the Italian star captured his maiden Grand Slam title, winning the Australian Open. He got the better of Daniil Medvedev in an exciting summit clash to win the trophy Down Under. Over the past few months, he has shown massive improvement, and that has been backed by results. However, the Dutch legend, Richard Krajicek, had identified Sinner as a Grand Slam winner years before the Italian’s victory Down Under.

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Sinner took to tennis at a very young age and got early exposure in tournaments. While he was young, playing at a tournament, he came across Krajicek, who hit the bull’s eye with his prediction.

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What did Richard Krajicek say about Jannik Sinner?

Recently, the Dutch legend appeared in an interview with UBI Tennis. During the conversation, he talked about the upcoming talent, involving players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Further, he also went on to highlight Sinner’s prediction that he made years ago.

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Krajicek said, “I don’t know him very well, I met him years ago in Monte Carlo when he was very young and Piatti told me “this will be a champion” , and he was right.”

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Further, he went on to add, “I think he has had great growth, evident with the victory in Vienna and the match in Davis against Djokovic where he won with 3 match points against him. For me, those two games made it clear that he could win a slam.” (Translated using Google Translate)

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DIVE DEEPER: Staggering $10500 Detail Is Proof Enough of Jannik Sinner’s Phenomenal Rise in Tennis

Not only Krajicek but also another tennis star, Naomi Osaka had predicted Sinner’s success. The Japanese icon heaped praise on Sinner, while candidly revealing her prediction.

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Osaka’s prediction came true

While the former World Number 1 had a disappointing Australian Open campaign, losing in the first round, her prediction about Sinner’s victory came true. She opened up about how she saw Sinner winning the title during a conversation with her coach.

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Osaka said, “Before the Open started, I was talking to Wim [Fissette, her coach] about Sinner, so I feel like in a way we both kept tabs on him. Honestly, it was really exciting to watch. Just seeing him beat Djokovic was really signaling that the young guys are really out here.”

Following Sinner’s historic win, he will be seen in action at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam. Can the Italian star continue his winning run in the upcoming tournaments? Let us know your views in the comments below.

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Vatsal Shah

3,705 Articles

Vatsal Shah is a tennis journalist at EssentiallySports, covering ATP and WTA storylines from the ES Trends Desk since 2023. He delivers breaking insights on major tournaments and player arcs, decoding tactical shifts and viral moments into accessible takeaways for fans worldwide. His coverage of Taylor Townsend’s Dubai title win stood out for capturing both the emotional significance of her victory and the context of her comeback.

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Anuj Jacob

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