Jannik Sinner: World No. 1 caps stellar year with ATP Finals victory over Taylor Fritz
Jannik Sinner couldn’t have dreamed of a better ending to his remarkable 2024 season.
The world No. 1 defeated American Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 to win the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, on Sunday, claiming the trophy for the first time on home soil. The victory also avenged his defeat in last year’s final against Novak Djokovic.
In a rematch of September’s US Open final – which Sinner also won in straight sets – Fritz was unable to break down the Italian and found himself fighting an uphill battle for much of the contest.
Sinner found the breakthrough in a lengthy seventh game of the first set that saw Fritz battle to hold on to his serve, though the two-time grand slam winner eventually pulled ahead with a sumptuous drop shot. His serve was also a significant weapon throughout, firing in 10 aces in a comfortable opening set and winning 83% of his first-serve points across the match.
He found the break even earlier in the second, moving in front in the fifth game and keeping the American at arm’s length for the rest of the contest, with Fritz failing to generate any break points.
On match point, Fritz sent a cross-court forehand wide to kick-start the party among the adoring Italian crowd.
“It’s amazing, it’s my first title in Italy and it means so much to me,” Sinner said, via the ATP. “It’s something very special. I just tried to understand what works best for each opponent, trying to play my best possible tennis. That was the key.
“It was a very high-level tournament from my side. At times, I couldn’t have played better, so I am very happy.”
Sinner plays a backhand during the match. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
The world No. 1 was utterly dominant throughout the Finals and now keeps some esteemed company as a result. According to the ATP, he is the first man to win the competition without dropping a set since eight-time major champion Ivan Lendl accomplished the feat in 1986 and joins Roger Federer and Djokovic as the only players to win the Australian Open, the US Open and the ATP Finals in the same year.
He is the first Italian and the first player born in the 21st century to ever win the competition. He became the the first ever Italian tennis No. 1 in June.
The victory gave Sinner his eighth title of the season, the most by any ATP player this year. Outside of his maiden grand slam triumphs, he also claimed Masters 1000 titles in Miami, Cincinnati and Shanghai and won 500-level finals in Rotterdam and Halle.
Tennis – 6 Kings Slam – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – October 19, 2024 Italy’s Jannik Sinner posses with the trophy after winning the final alongside Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz. Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters
Over the course of the season, he racked up a Tour-leading 70 wins and lost only six matches – half of those losses came against Carlos Alcaraz.
His success has come in spite of controversy off the court. The 23-year-old avoided suspension earlier this year after testing positive for Clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, in March. The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced in August that he wasn’t at fault for the incident, though the World Anti-Doping Agency has lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Fritz, meanwhile, moves up to a career-high ranking of world No. 4, despite the defeat. It has been an impressive year for the California native, winning two titles and reaching a grand slam final for the first time in his career.
Fritz and Sinner greet each other at the net after the match. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
He also won a bronze medal for the US alongside Tommy Paul in the men’s doubles at the Paris Olympics earlier this year.
He produced a superb display to defeat in-form world No. 2 Alex Zverev on Saturday for the chance to take on Sinner.
“It’s been a really good week for me, it’s a good way to end the year,” said Fritz. “Gives me a lot of confidence finishing the season. Going into my offseason, starting next year, I feel like I have a good idea of what things I need to improve on, but I also feel like I’m playing very good tennis.
“Back when I was five (in the world rankings), I didn’t feel like I was five. Now I’m ranked where I’m at, I feel like I belong. It’s a different feeling. It’s been a great year. That gives me a lot of confidence to have that belief. That’s a huge part of having the big results.”
Source: edition.cnn.com