Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev labelled 'boring' by Wimbledon ...
Alexander Zverev (left) and Jannik Sinner (right)
Former Wimbledon doubles champion Frederik Nielsen has named Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz as the most boring players to watch.
The retired Danish player described Sinner as “monotonous” and “almost too good a guy”, while he argued Zverev “doesn’t seem like he enjoys being there.”
Sinner, Zverev and Fritz are all in action at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, which got underway on Monday.
World No 1 Sinner is the top seed and will face Italian compatriot and 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini in the second round today. The 22-year-old, who won his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January, has been the outstanding ATP player in 2024.
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Zverev and Fritz, who are seeded fourth and 13th respectively at Wimbledon, are both in the bottom half of the draw and could meet in the fourth round.
In an interview with SpilXperten, Nielsen identified former world No 8 John Isner — and also three current ATP stars — when selecting the players he finds the most boring to watch.
“John Isner was the most boring player,” asserted the Dane. “He was so good, and he did so little to cultivate it. He played 250 tournaments before each Grand Slam and burned out at the Grand Slams.
“I don’t think he gave it a legitimate run at any of the four Grand Slams, even though he has the best serve in the world. It was so boring for me. The lack of ambition was boring, so that’s what I look at.
“Among active players, I would probably point to Taylor Fritz, Alexander Zverev, and Jannik Sinner. Zverev doesn’t seem like he enjoys being there. I respect that he plays efficiently, but it’s not watchable.
“Honestly, I also find Jannik Sinner a bit boring to watch because everything is so monotonous. He’s almost too good a guy.”
Nielsen, who won Wimbledon with partner Jonathan Marray in 2012, also assessed British No 1 Jack Draper’s chances at Wimbledon this year.
“I have considered Draper an outsider for several years, someone who can perform well at Grand Slams. He has been injured quite a bit, but he has a good attitude and works hard,” he said.
“He is left-handed and very comfortable on grass. He is definitely someone to keep an eye on. Now he is also seeded, which means he probably has a better chance of getting through the first few rounds a bit easier.
“The problem for many English players who go far is that there is a lot of pressure. Journalists expect a lot from you. They support you, but there are also many players who react badly to it.
“It quickly becomes a story about how poorly they are doing over there. He seems like the type who can handle it, and he has played many good matches.
“A couple of years ago, he even took a set off Djokovic. But it is very much a question of his character, meaning how he handles it, rather than his abilities as a tennis player. There will be a lot of attention on him.
“It will be really interesting to see how he fares. He will probably also play all his matches on centre court, and that will be great for him. If he can handle the brutal press, which often focuses on how bad the English players are.
“It is tough for them when they don’t perform well, but it’s part of the game. Jack Draper can go really far at Wimbledon.”
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