Why Jannik Sinner did the exact reverse of Rafael Nadal and why it could change tennis

Jannik Sinner has been one of the best players in men’s tennis for nearly three years now.

After impressing in his early years on the tour, the Italian took his game to the next level in 2024, when he clinched his first two major titles.

Sinner has kept climbing since then, picking up two more Grand Slams and a handful of ATP Masters 1000 titles along the way.

Serena Williams’ former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, thinks that a change in topspin is one of the main reasons behind Sinner’s success over these past few seasons.

Patrick Mouratoglou highlights Jannik Sinner’s change

Mouratoglou told his Instagram followers: “He hit with less spin at that time. With less spin, you can be more aggressive with your shots, but it’s also a bit riskier.”

Mouratoglou said: “With topspin, you can go faster and safer because if you have enough speed but also enough topspin, your ball will go back down into the court.”

The World No.1 was already making small adjustments to his game before Murray spoke out. Still, there have been growing signs this year that players are finding ways to deal with him more effectively.

Patrick Mouratoglou compares Jannik Sinner and Rafael Nadal

Mouratoglou, speaking on Instagram, highlighted the contrasting paths of the two players: “Did you realise that Rafa played faster the last two years of his career, and did you realise that Jannik played slower the last two years?

“What’s interesting is, at the end of his career, Rafa’s ball is way faster and his topspin is declining. Why? Because he knew he wanted to shorten the rallies, and punch more.

“On the other hand, Sinner moved in the opposite direction. Between 2025 and 2026, he started using more spin. His ball wasn’t as quick because of it.

“He added spin because he wanted consistency. More spin meant more control for him. He fine-tuned his game, and at the moment, it cannot be better.”

Jannik Sinner’s 2026 season in focus

Sinner has had a remarkable start to the year, with a season record of 37 wins and just three losses.

He didn’t get off to the kind of start he might have wanted, losing in the Australian Open semi-finals before going out in the Doha quarters.

But he responded by putting together an incredible run of form, winning five straight ATP Masters 1000 titles – Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome.

Even though he made an early exit at Roland Garros, falling in the second round, Sinner’s campaign so far has been outstanding. He’ll now be looking ahead to Wimbledon.

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