Jannik Sinner breezes past Fritz to clinch maiden ATP Finals title

Jannik Sinner scripted the perfect conclusion to an illustrious season on the ATP Tour. The 23-year-old etched his name into the record books as he defeated Taylor Fritz in Turin to clinch the ATP Finals title. His maiden claim at the trophy made Sinner the first Italian in 55 years to win the prestigious ATP event. Moreover, Sinner joined Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer as only the third player to win the biggest hard-court events, namely the US Open, Australian Open, and the ATP Finals, in a calendar year. On his quest to emerge as the best of the season, Sinner boasts an unmatched 70-6 win/loss record this year.

Jannik Sinner beats Taylor Fritz at the Nitto ATP Finals, wins his eighth title of the season

Jannik Sinner made his way to the ATP Finals title without dropping a single set at his home tournament in Turin. Drawn in the Ilie Nastase group, Sinner defeated Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, and Daniil Medvedev in straight sets during the group stage to advance to the semi-finals. In the knockouts, he faced Casper Ruud, who proved no match for Sinner, as the home favorite dispatched him 6-1, 6-2 at the Inalpi Arena. Meanwhile, Taylor Fritz overcame Alexander Zverev, who had remained unbeaten in the group stage against the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Ruud, and Andrey Rublev. However, Fritz, in a hard-fought match, edged the German 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 to set up the title clash against Sinner.

Earlier, during the group stage, Sinner had beaten Fritz 6-4, 6-4 to top the Ilie Nastase group. Prior to the ATP Finals, the Italian had bested the American ace at his home turf to clinch the US Open title. It was a replay of Sinner’s earlier victories against Fritz when the duo took the court at Inalpi for the ATP Finals title clash. Sinner maintained his form, offering next to no openings in the match. Fritz struggled to find answers to Sinner’s near-perfect serves as the Italian wrapped up the match in 85 minutes.

“It’s amazing; it’s my first title in Italy, and it means so much to me. 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,” Sinner said following his victory. “It was a very high-level tournament from my side. At times, I couldn't have played better, so I am very happy,” the World No. 1 added.

A look at Sinner's career-best season on the ATP Tour

With this victory, Sinner became the first player to win the event without dropping a set since Ivan Lendl accomplished the feat in 1986. Interestingly, Sinner, who improved his season standing on hard courts to 50-3, has not suffered a straight-sets defeat this year. Even in the six matches Sinner lost out of the 76 he played this season, the World No.1 managed to win at least one set. With his victory over Fritz, Sinner also registered the most wins this season, edging past Alexander Zverev, who has 69 wins. Moreover, with his year-end No.1 title, Sinner is leading the ATP standings by a large margin, with the points difference between him and second-placed Zverev exceeding 3,900.

Sinner earned 1,500 points for his title victory at home, bringing this season’s tally to 11,820 points. Despite falling short of the ATP Finals title, Taylor Fritz achieved a career milestone by climbing to fourth in the ATP rankings, his best position to date. Additionally, the Californian became the first American to enter the Top 4 since Andy Roddick in 2007.

The season began with Sinner claiming his maiden Grand Slam title by defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final. Delivering his career-best performance on the tour, the Italian went on to win seven more titles this season. His eight title victories include two Grand Slam titles, three ATP Masters titles, two ATP 500 events, and the Nitto ATP Finals. Sinner’s remarkable run this season was marred by a doping allegation, charges that remain under review by WADA at the CAS. However, while Sinner awaits a verdict on the case, he is set to head to Malaga for the Davis Cup Finals. Sinner played an instrumental role in Italy’s title-winning campaign last season, where he defeated Novak Djokovic.