November 17, 2024
Jannik Sinner capped his stellar 2024 season in style Sunday by winning his first ATP Finals trophy.
The 23-year-old and home favourite produced a near-flawless performance to down Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 in 85 minutes and become the first Italian champion since the tournament’s inception in 1969.
“It’s amazing, it’s my first title in Italy and it means so much to me,” said Sinner, who improved to 50-3 on hard courts in 2024. “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.”
With his straight-sets triumph, Sinner became the first player to win the Nitto ATP Finals without dropping a set since Ivan Lendl in 1986, highlighting the ruthless season that he has enjoyed on the Tour in 2024.
After notching his Tour-leading 70th win of the season, Sinner has joined Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win the Australian Open, US Open and Nitto ATP Finals in the same season.
Sinner also became the first player born in the 2000s to capture the trophy at the prestigious season finale, having fallen to Djokovic in last year’s title clash.
Following his run to the championship match in Turin, Fritz has ensured that he will reach a new career-high of No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday.
The 27-year-old was bidding to become the first American champion at the event since Pete Sampras in 1999, but came unstuck by a steely Sinner, who extended his winning streak to 11 matches.
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