Persistent critic accuses Novak Djokovic of ‘giving up’ in Shanghai match vs Jannik Sinner

Former number four in the world Adriano Panatta has said When Jannik Sinner defeated Novak Djokovic in the final of the Shanghai Masters, Djokovic said he was “giving up.”

The legendary Italian tennis player, who has been critical of Djokovic on several occasions, insists he still loves Roger Federer more and has “great admiration” for the Serbian.

In the 2024 Shanghai Masters championship final, Sinner evened his head-to-head series with tennis legend Novak Djokovic by defeating him 7-6(4), 6-3. With three consecutive victories against Djokovic and four of their previous five matches in the bag, the world number one has been unstoppable.

In a first set that was both competitive and high-quality, with no break points, Djokovic won more points; however, Sinner played better in the tiebreak, which gave him the victory.

The 37-year-old’s concentration faded in the first set, and the 23-year-old Italian took full advantage to capture his sixth championship of 2024.

Panatta praised Sinner for his reliability this season and said that Sinner’s opponents couldn’t hold a candle to him for more than an hour.

He told Corriere dello Sport, “He won again, he confirmed this extraordinary year that he is playing in a way that is beyond belief.” He acknowledged that he has improved much in recent months, but he also noted that the player’s consistency and overall performance have been exceptional.

He is unbeatable against opponents ranked six and below, even when he isn’t performing up to par. Even with the first four, he never loses when he’s playing well. After that, it’s clear that Carlos Alcaraz is now the one at a distance from the others.

“He plays nonstop for two or three hours straight, consistently at a high level. After mimicking his every move for an hour or so, the rest of the team is unable to maintain his level of play.

Sinner and Djokovic’s final was finished after the first set, according to the former French Open winner, who was trying to drive home his argument.

For precisely one hour, he (Djokovic) displayed strong play. I believe that Djokovic likewise accepts defeat after the first set since there was no more match, Panatta said.

I don’t think a player of his caliber could tolerate leaving the court, not humiliated, but with a solid hammering from Sinner. He was perhaps the greatest of all time in terms of outcomes.

I really respect Djokovic, so it’s with some regret that I must say this. I lie when I claim I didn’t adore Novak Djokovic. It was [Roger] Federer that I liked more.