Novak Djokovic ended the year just as he started it — by setting records. The top-ranked Djokovic won a record-breaking seventh ATP Finals title on Sunday with a straight-set victory over home favorite Jannik Sinner. Djokovic took 1 hour, 43 minutes to win 6-3, 6-3 as the Serbian continues to reach new heights at the age of 36.
Quick Read
- Djokovic’s Record-Breaking Year:
- Novak Djokovic wins a record seventh ATP Finals title.
- Secured the victory against Jannik Sinner in straight sets.
- 2023 Triumphs:
- Began the year with his 10th Australian Open title.
- Won his 23rd Grand Slam at the French Open, surpassing Rafael Nadal’s record.
- Also victorious at the U.S. Open.
- Djokovic’s Dominant Performance:
- Praised the season as one of his best.
- Acknowledged the challenge posed by Sinner in the final.
- Surpassing Federer’s Record:
- Djokovic entered the final tied with Roger Federer for ATP Finals titles.
- Celebrated his record-breaking win with enthusiasm.
- Semifinal Victory:
- Defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals.
- Credited his tactical approach for the success against top players.
- Sinner’s Historic Run:
- First Italian to reach the ATP Finals.
- Had defeated Djokovic in the group stage.
- Djokovic’s Control in Final:
- Dominated the match, winning 14 straight points at one stage.
- Maintained the year-end No. 1 ranking for a record eighth time.
- Historic No. 1 Ranking Achievement:
- Will become the first player to hold the No. 1 ranking for 400 weeks.
- Surpasses Federer’s previous record of 310 weeks.
- Grand Slam and ATP Finals Achievement:
- Second time in 15 years a player reached finals in all four Grand Slams and ATP Finals, both times by Djokovic.
- Sinner’s Performance and Acknowledgment:
- Won all matches in Turin prior to the final.
- Praised Djokovic’s season and his own growth throughout the year.
The Associated Press has the story:
Djokovic wins record 7th ATP Finals title by beating Sinner in straight sets
Newslooks- TURIN, Italy (AP)
Novak Djokovic ended the year just as he started it — by setting records. The top-ranked Djokovic won a record-breaking seventh ATP Finals title on Sunday with a straight-set victory over home favorite Jannik Sinner.
Djokovic took 1 hour, 43 minutes to win 6-3, 6-3 as the Serbian continues to reach new heights at the age of 36.
He started 2023 with a record-extending 10th Australian Open title and went on to claim his 23rd Grand Slam singles trophy at the French Open, breaking Rafael Nadal’s mark. Djokovic, who lost the Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz, also won the U.S. Open.
“One of the best seasons I’ve had in my life, no doubt,” Djokovic said. “To crown it with a win against a hometown hero in Jannik, who has played amazing tennis this week, is phenomenal.”
Djokovic entered Sunday’s final tied with Roger Federer on six titles at the season-ending tournament for the year’s top eight players.
And he stretched out his arms and beamed broadly after clinching his seventh when Sinner double-faulted.
The victory had echoes of the clinical way Djokovic dispatched second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz in Saturday’s semifinal encounter.
“I’m very proud of the performances these last two days against Alcaraz and Sinner, probably the best two players in the world next to me and (Daniil) Medvedev at the moment, and the way they have been playing I had to step it up,” Djokovic said.
“I had to win the matches and not wait for them to hand me the victory and that’s what I’ve done. I think I tactically played different today than I have in the group stage against Jannik, and just overall it was a phenomenal week.”
It was his fourth win over Sinner, who had recorded a first-ever victory against Djokovic in the group stage in Turin and was the first Italian to reach the final.
But Djokovic was in imperious form on Sunday and won 14 straight points from the end of the first set to the third game of the second to leave him firmly in control and subdue the Turin crowd.
Djokovic had already secured the year-end No. 1 ranking for a record-extending eighth time by winning his opening match at the ATP Finals.
After this tournament, Djokovic will become the first player to hold the No. 1 ranking for 400 weeks, with Roger Federer at 310 the only other man to eclipse the 300-week mark.
It was also only the second time in the last 15 years that a player has made the finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments and the ATP Finals. The only previous occasion was when Djokovic did it in 2015.
Sinner came into the final having won all of his matches in Turin and backed by a fervent home crowd, who had dreams of him becoming the first Italian to win the tournament in its 54-year history.
But the 22-year-old Sinner could offer little in response to a master class from Djokovic, especially in a blistering first set that lasted just 38 minutes and saw the Serbian win 20 of 22 service points. Djokovic also served up 13 aces during the match.
“Congratulations to you (Novak) for this week and not only: you started the season by winning and you ended it by winning, you won three Slams and many other tournaments,” Sinner said. “What else is there to say? You’re an inspiration not only for all those watching, but especially for the players.
“I also want to thank my team … we saw also today that I can still improve a lot but we can look at the positive things from this season. When we started the year I was one player and now I’m another. Thanks to you who have helped me understand so many things.”
Improving Jannik Sinner has his sights set on serving up more success next season
Quick Read
- Sinner’s ATP Finals Performance:
- Jannik Sinner compared his improvement to perfecting a pasta dish.
- Reached the ATP Finals final, but lost to Novak Djokovic.
- Improvement Throughout the Year:
- Rose from No. 15 to No. 4 in the rankings, the highest for an Italian man in nearly 50 years.
- Noted his own transformation throughout the year.
- Italian Tennis Milestones:
- First Italian to reach ATP Finals semifinals and final.
- Broke the record for most victories over top-five players by an Italian man.
- Sinner’s Season Reflections:
- Highlighted his mental strength and important matches played.
- Accumulated 61 wins and won four ATP Tour titles.
- Public Support in Italy:
- Received fervent support from fans in Turin.
- The ATP Finals final was the most-watched tennis match on Italian TV.
- Backlash from Davis Cup Withdrawal:
- Faced criticism for withdrawing from the Davis Cup previously.
- Will participate in the Davis Cup Finals this week.
- Coach’s Support:
- Former coach Riccardo Piatti praised Sinner for his resilience against criticism.
- Future Grand Slam Ambitions:
- Sinner aims for success in Grand Slam tournaments.
- Received praise from Djokovic for his potential and character.
The Associated Press has the story:
After Saturday’s victory over third-ranked Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals of the ATP Finals, Sinner compared his improvement this year to cooking “pasta pomodoro” (pasta with tomato sauce).
“Everything is part of a learning curve,” the Italian said. “When each of us makes pasta pomodoro for the first time you say ‘it’s missing salt,’ and you add more salt, then you say ‘it’s missing fresh tomatoes’ and you put them in, then you add in basil.
“So you add ingredients to always improve more. But you also have to be careful you don’t add too much otherwise the dish doesn’t become better. You need to find the right balance. My dish is also not perfect yet, I can improve.”
Sinner lacked the perfect ingredients to beat Novak Djokovic in the final, however. The top-ranked Serb won 6-3, 6-3 and earned a record seventh victory at the season-ending tournament for the year’s top eight players.
That was Sinner’s first loss at this year’s ATP Finals — ending a run of four wins that included a first-ever victory over Djokovic.
Two wins in a week over the 24-time Grand Slam champion would have capped a dream tournament for Sinner and an impressive season that has seen him rise from No. 15 at the end of last year to No. 4.
That is the highest an Italian man has been ranked since Adriano Panatta nearly a half-century ago.
“When we started the year I was one player and now I’m another,” Sinner said Sunday.
Sinner was the first Italian to reach the semifinals — and subsequently the final — at the prestigious tournament and his win over the third-ranked Medvedev also saw him become the Italian man with the most victories over top-five players (10), breaking Panatta’s record.
“There are many positive things, to be honest,” Sinner said about his season. “I think, especially the second half of the year, mentally I was much, much stronger. I was not complaining so much on court when things were going in the wrong way.
“One of the things where I can be really happy is that I played many, many important matches in the biggest stadiums we have throughout the whole year.”
Sinner racked up 61 wins with only 15 losses this season, with only Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz earning up more victories, and also won four ATP Tour titles.
The 22-year-old Italian lived up to his billing as the poster boy last week and was fervently backed by a passionate crowd in Turin — including the ever-present, orange-clad “Carota Boys.”
As the week went on, “Sinner-mania” spread from the packed arena in Turin — where extra tickets were released for the weekend — to the rest of Italy. The final was the most watched tennis match of all time on Italian television, with 6.7 million viewers.
Several bars were jammed with fans watching the match on big screens, something normally seen only for major soccer matches, and it was talk of tennis that peppered the air all weekend.
Indeed, the atmosphere inside the Pala Alpitour was more akin to a soccer match at times as fans serenaded Sinner with: “Ole, Ole, Ole Ole, Sin-ner, Sin-ner.”
The adulation Sinner has received is a far cry from the criticism that came his way less than two months ago when he was lambasted by the media and former tennis players for withdrawing from the Davis Cup, saying he hadn’t recovered in time from tournaments in North America, including the U.S. Open.
Sinner will be part of the Italy squad for the Davis Cup Finals this week in Malaga, where he could face Djokovic if both countries reach the semifinals.
“I want to also say well done to him for not having listened to all the useless criticism he received when he missed the Davis Cup … unproductive criticism that came from people who don’t know how to give high-level performances,” Sinner’s former coach, Riccardo Piatti, said in a post on Instagram congratulating the youngster on Monday.
“Jannik: a week like this at the Finals, the future Slams you will win and the world ranking are the best way to show your attachment to Italy and make all Italians proud to have someone like you among the best athletes in the world.”
After a taste of a big-time final, Sinner will be targeting more next year. He has never gone beyond the semifinals of a Grand Slam, reaching the final four for the first time this year at Wimbledon — where he lost to eventual winner Carlos Alcaraz.
One person who has some experience in Grand Slam finals is confident it is just a matter of time.
“He’s the Italian No. 1, he’s made tennis history in this country, he’s someone who will certainly get to No. 1 in the world and win Grand Slams,” said Djokovic, who reached all four Grand Slam finals this year.
“I’m not the only one saying it, many people are, because he has potential, he has talent, he has dedication,” Djokovic said. “He’s a great boy, with great family values. I wish him great things — but when he’s not playing against me.”
