When Jannik Sinner went out for dinner with Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova and Jannik Sinner

Italian teen sensation Jannik Sinner's coach, Riccardo Piatti recently revealed how he got his ward to dine with Russian tennis great Maria Sharapova to help him develop a winning mindset.

Sinner, 19, who lost to Poland's Hubert Hurkacz 6-7, 4-6 in the Miami event final on Sunday, is seen as the future superstar on the circuit.

In a bid to make Sinner understand what it takes to become a champion, Piatti got the rising star to meet the five-time Grand Slam winner over dinner in 2019.

"I wanted Jannik to understand the mentality of a No. 1. Maria has priorities," Piatti told ATPTour.com. "When she is on the court, she is watching the ball, hitting the ball and doing everything perfect. When she plays points, she's focused to play the points. When she's off the court, she's focussed on the fitness part, physical part. When she finishes everything, she's social. Maria is an example that she has a great mentality to be a champion," he added.