Jannik Sinner cemented his status as the best player in men’s tennis by winning a first ATP Finals title in front of his home fans in Turin.
The Italian – advised as a strong bet in Andy Schooler's pre-tournament preview here – has got better and better as the season has gone on, despite the doping case hanging over his head that could still lead to a suspension.
His 6-4 6-4 victory over fifth seed Taylor Fritz made it 26 wins from his last 27 matches, a run that included his second grand slam title of the year at the US Open, two Masters 1000 trophies and now the ATP Finals.
Sinner has been utterly dominant in Turin, winning all his five matches without dropping a set – the first man to do so since Ivan Lendl in 1986 – and he becomes the first Italian champion.
“It’s amazing, it’s my first title in Italy and it means so much to me,” said Sinner, who lost in the final 12 months ago to Novak Djokovic. “It’s something very special. It was a very high-level tournament from my side. At times I couldn’t have played better, so I am very happy.”
He had already beaten Fritz in the group stage and, despite another competitive encounter, it was the Italian who again came out on top in the decisive moments.
He took a fourth chance to break serve at 3-3 before clinching the opening set, and another break in the fifth game of the second was enough to complete the job.
Fritz was the first American to reach the singles final since James Blake in 2006 and was aiming to become the first US champion this century but, as in the US Open final, he found Sinner an immovable obstacle.
He will take positive feelings into 2025, though, saying: “It’s been a really good week for me, it’s a good way to end the year. Gives me a lot of confidence finishing the season. 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.”
Sinner celebrated in front of the jubilant home crowd, and the year could yet have one more high, with the 23-year-old set to head to Malaga, where he will attempt to help Italy successfully defend the Davis Cup title.
The ATP announced, meanwhile, that the ATP Finals will stay in Italy for five more years, although the tournament could move to a different city.
