John McEnroe sees a Sinner as a future tennis savior.
In a conference call with the media to promote ESPN's first ball to last ball Australian Open coverage starting on Sunday, McEnroe said 18-year-old Jannik Sinner is capable of winning multiple Grand Slam titles.
More: Six Quick Takes on AO Draw
Sinner, who is the youngest man in the ATP Top 300, defeated 18th-ranked Alex de Minaur to win the Next Gen ATP Finals title in Milan last November.
Hall of Famer McEnroe sees an "unbelievable upside" in the Italian teenager he calls "one of the most talented kids I've seen in 10 years."
"His potential is to win numerous Grand Slams," McEnroe said. "He's one of the most talented kids I've seen in 10 years. He's only 18, but he's got some pretty good size already, looks like he has a great head on his shoulders, and has an unbelievable upside."
Conceding Sinner will likely experience growing pains and need to adjust to being the hunted rather than the hunter, McEnroe believes the 6'2" Italian will crack the Top 10 in the next couple of years.
"Of course he's going to have to deal with the fact that now all of a sudden he's going to be hunted a little bit himself and people are going to dig in a little bit more and not want to lose to an 18 year old," McEnroe said. "So he's going to have that to contend with. But I suspect in a few years you're going to see him in the top 10 of the game. Give him two or three years for sure, I believe."
Working with Italian coach Riccardo Piatti, Sinner has rocketed up the rankings from No. 550 last February to his current rank of No. 79.
Last October, Sinner shocked top-seeded Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-2 for his biggest career win then subdued Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 becoming the first player born in 2001 to reach an ATP semifinal in Antwerp.
Former world No. 1 Chrissie Evert says Sinner's competitive composure and the fact he plays points with a purpose at such a young age put him in special company.
"The maturity that he has, has really propelled him at this point, and he plays like he belongs on the big stage, and he doesn't seem intimidated by pressure," Evert said. "He doesn't have any fear. He's just very attune to what his goals are. I love the demeanor that he has on the court, aside from his game.
"And I saw that with Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, too, at a young age, with the current champions, and I see a familiarity there."
A fluid mover, Sinner knows all about riding peaks and valleys of sport.
The Italian teenager chose tennis over a competitive skiing career at age 13 and hasn't looked back. .
An aggressive baseliner who is willing to move forward in the court, Sinner owns an expansive strike zone, and can belt the high ball and dig out the low ball with equal aggression on his forehand. Sinner understands how to use his serve to set up a first-strike forehand.
Sinner's poise, physical gifts and court sense make him a "rare talent," the former world No. 1 said.
"He seems to be mature beyond his years, but he also physically seems he's getting where he can," McEnroe said. "I don't know this yet about the best of five. We'll see how he's going to be able to handle that. But he looks to be physically very gifted. I'd heard about him because I know Ricardo Piatti, and he's been telling me about him for a couple of years.
"So I've been, along with many other tennis fans and tennis players, have been watching him from a distance and understanding that this guy is a rare talent. So it all maybe came together slightly quicker or he's moving quicker than some people thought, but he's got it all... Everything I've seen would lead me to believe that potentially he could go and become one of the best players in the world for sure."
Photo credit: European Open Facebook