Jannik Sinner Forehand Analysis

One of the most disruptive players in recent years has been the Italian Jannik Sinner. Looking at him, you may not expect him to be one of the most powerful players in the world of tennis.

His slim build and 1.88m height are not imposing or intimidating in the same way as Rafael Nadal’s biceps.

However, Sinner actually possesses the heaviest backhand on the ATP tour in terms of RPMs on the ATP tour.

This is due to his incredibly good use of his tall frame, technique and leverage, all key elements of what also makes his forehand so great too.

Whilst his backhand is very impressive, Sinner’s forehand is arguably even better.

Reminiscent of the Novak Djokovic forehand, Sinner uses a quick whipping motion just as he is about to strike the ball to add so much power and topspin to his shots.

However, these techniques are not just reserved for the pros. You too can learn how to master your forehand technique and strike it big like Sinner.

So, let’s take a closer look at Jannik Sinner and his amazing forehand.

Who is Jannik Sinner?

The young Italian is a prolific player that made himself known by winning the NextGen finals in 2019, a unique and groundbreaking event that pits the best young players under the age of 21 against each other.

Since then he has gone on to win 6 titles on the ATP tour so far. He has proved himself to be adept on all surfaces, but clearly favours hard courts given that 5 of his 6 titles have been won on that surface.

His game style suits fast hard courts as he can slide incredibly well, hit huge bazookas on both the forehand and backhand sides from anywhere in the court and is not afraid to come into the net.

Sinner’s game style is relatively similar to that of Novak Djokovic. His elastic legs and flexible ankles help him slide into passing shots and he has an uncanny ability to turn defence into attack.

He moves incredibly efficiently and has that italian fire and passion that bubbles beneath the surface, ready to explode when he needs it.

What Makes his Forehand Great?

Despite his slight frame, Jannik Sinner manages to have one of the most destructive forehands on the ATP tour. There are a few factors that play into this, so let’s take a look at them individually.

His Frame

Ironically, Sinner’s lean build and long levers actually play into his hands when it comes to generating a lot of power on his forehand. He clearly has a lot of raw power and strength, but the leverage he can generate on the ball is also very impressive.

He is able to coil and uncoil his body using the unit turn to great effect, meaning he can take a bigger cut at the ball thanks to the extra space he can create.

Sinner’s flexibility and reach also mean he can slide into shots and hit them aggressively, even when he is in a defensive position. We have seen him hit forehand passing shots with insane power, even from improbable positions on the court.

Variety

Another thing that sets Sinner’s forehand apart is how versatile it is. He can hit it from any area of the court, hit with incredible power and topspin, take pace off and even uses the slice forehand and drop shots effectively.

This is something that many junior players lack these days as the game of tennis has become so baseline dominant.

However, Sinner possesses the ability to hit heavy forehands just as easily when approaching the net as he does from the back of the court.

Insane Power

As mentioned already, the insane power that Sinner possesses on his forehand beggars belief. He can crack it from anywhere in the court and it sounds like a gunshot!

His loose wrist and live elbow help him get his racket whipping through the ball with so much racket head speed it’s surprising he isn’t injured more often.

He is more than happy to rally with his opponents and keep the ball in play, pushing them back further and further with every shot.

Then, when the ball sits up or he is pushed out wide and finds an angle, he can let rip and smack a forehand winner.

Technique

The last element that brings the Sinner forehand together is his technique. His forehand has a lot of similarities with Djokovic’s, especially with his uncoiling phase.

Sinner has a long swing on his forehand, but the backswing itself is low and compact enough that he can deal with fast paced, low incoming balls with ease.

The follow through is long and purposeful, allowing him to hit through the ball with power and accuracy. However, on his take back he uses a quite strong semi western grip to get more topspin on the ball.

As he starts to swing his racket towards the ball, he does so with the underside of his strings facing the back of the court (rather than down at the ground).

This then rapidly unfolds as he is about to make contact with the ball, creating massive racket head speed, power and spin on his forehand.

Conclusion

Overall, Jannik Sinner is one of the most complete young players of the next gen and has really made an impact on the men’s game in his career so far.

Whilst his backhand has incredible spin, his forehand is one of the most powerful and potent out there today.

The keys to the Jannik Sinner forehand are using his long levers to his advantage, creating a lot of space during his unit turn, understanding how to hit with massive power and having efficient technique that lets him hit all types of shots from anywhere on the court.