Serbia’s Novak Djokovic lifts the trophy after successful the ultimate match towards Italy’s Jannik Sinner on the ATP Finals tennis event in Turin on November 19, 2023. (Photograph by Tiziana FABI / AFP)
Novak Djokovic claimed one more file on Sunday along with his seventh ATP Finals title, sweeping apart native hero Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-3 in Turin and leaving tennis followers questioning when he’ll relinquish his tennis dominance.
Djokovic got here into the Finals on the finish of an age-defying yr which has introduced three Grand Slams, taking his complete to an all-time better of 24, and a fortieth Masters 1000 title.
He’ll clock a four-hundredth week at world number one after crowning an unimaginable season — during which he additionally reached the Wimbledon closing — by transferring away from retired nice Roger Federer in victories on the season-ending event.
The 36-year-old took his record-breaking crown by beating in straight units the sport’s greatest two younger gamers in Sinner and vanquished semi-finalist Carlos Alcaraz, exhibiting that he nonetheless has loads to provide with the Paris Olympics across the nook and a gold medal the one main title lacking from his record of honors.
“Very particular, the most effective seasons I’ve had in my life, little doubt. To crown it with a win towards a hometown hero in Jannik, who has performed wonderful tennis all week, is phenomenal,” stated Djokovic.
“I’m very pleased with the performances of the final two days towards Alcaraz and Sinner, who’re most likely the 2 greatest gamers on this planet, subsequent to me and Medvedev in the intervening time. The best way they’ve been enjoying I needed to step it up.”
Sinner was bidding to grow to be the first-ever Italian to win the Finals and seemed like the fitting man to do it after his spectacular group stage win over Djokovic.
However the 22-year-old, like Alcaraz in Saturday’s semi, merely couldn’t deal with Djokovic, a person on a mission who hit his greatest type at precisely the fitting time within the event.
It’s a testomony nonetheless to how far Sinner, a four-time winner this yr, has come previously yr that he had Djokovic’s event destiny in his palms on the finish of the group stage, when defeat by Holger Rune would have despatched the Serb house early.
File-breaker Djokovic
Sinner saved Djokovic’s pores and skin and ultimately paid for it within the closing, however the high quality of his performances on the Pala Alpitour has been a trigger for a lot optimism in Italy and means that he must be a Grand Slam contender subsequent season.
“We’ve seen as we speak that there’s nonetheless loads to work on… however we are able to have a look at the positives from this season,” stated Sinner.
“Once I began this season I used to be one kind of participant, now I’m one other. Let’s see how we go subsequent season.”
Djokovic took management early within the match, breaking Sinner on the first alternative in sport 4 after which comfortably serving out the opening set.
Such was his dominance that Djokovic silenced a partisan crowd which has been rambunctious for all of Sinner’s matches, and he instantly broke serve once more in the beginning of the second set.
He reeled off 14 straight factors from the beginning of the ultimate sport of the primary set into the third sport of the second, which was ultimately received by Sinner to only maintain his serve.
Sinner seemed like he was going to be walked over however he confirmed large coronary heart and introduced the group to its toes when he held his serve in sport seven, a 15-minute mini-epic during which Djokovic had two break factors, to remain at 4-3.
Nonetheless ultimately he couldn’t stick with Djokovic and surrendered the match in disappointing trend with a double fault.
Earlier, Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury retained their doubles title as they cruised to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.
The US Open champions stored maintain of their crown with a near-perfect marketing campaign in Turin, going unbeaten of their 5 matches.
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American Ram and Briton Salisbury took their successful streak on the season-ending event to 10 matches after additionally sweeping to final yr’s title undefeated.
