"I love Jannik Sinner, he's a good kid" - Serena Williams' former coach hails Italian for his persona on and off the court

Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs recently heaped praise on Jannik Sinner's on-court performance as well as his charisma off the court.

Sinner was last seen in action at the 2023 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, Spain, anchoring Italy's title charge. Italy and Australia faced off against each other in the final after the former beat Serbia and the latter bettered Finland in the semifinals.

In the final, Matteo Arnaldi handed the Italians the lead after he defeated Australia's Alexei Popyrin in a thrilling three-setter, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4. Then, Jannik Sinner beat World No. 12 Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-0 to end Italy's 47-year wait for the Davis Cup title.

In the latest episode of The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, Serena Williams' former coach spoke highly of the World No. 4's recent performances, drawing focus to stark improvements in his forehand and serve. She also hailed his persona and friendly nature off the court.

"I love Jannick [Sinner], you know how I feel about him. I just think he's great, he's such a good kid, he's so nice to everybody. He's just such a pleasure to be around on all occasions. As you said he's tinkered around with the forehand with the serve and getting better and better at everything," Serena Williams' ex-coach said.

---

"Having the pressure on you is an honor" - Jannik Sinner hopes for a strong season in 2024

Jannik Sinner pictured after winning the 2023 Davis Cup with Italy.

Jannik Sinner ended his 2023 campaign at World No. 4, registering an impressive 64-15 win-loss record. He clinched four titles on tour, including the Vienna Open, the China Open and his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title, triumphing at the National Bank Open in Montreal, Canada. He was also runner-up at the ATP Finals, narrowly losing to World No. 1 Djokovic.

Jannik Sinner was in attendance at the SuperTennis Awards in Milan, where he was honored as the best player of the year. At the event, the 22-year-old said that he hopes to cement his place as one of the best players in the world in 2024 and maintained that having the pressure of expectations is an honor.

"2024 must be the year of confirmation. Having the pressure on you is an honor but it must be taken with a smile. I had an excellent end to the season, with the victory of the Davis Cup I felt many emotions," Jannik Sinner said (via Eurosport).

"Perhaps we didn't realize how much was important for the Italians. It will be important to start off as positive as in these months of 2023. It will be another season full of great emotions," he added.