Jannik Sinner has 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 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.
By sweeping all five of his matches en route to the trophy, Sinner earned $7.4 million (US$4.8 million), the largest winner’s prize on the men’s tour.
He has become the first Italian to win the finals and he went one step further than last year, when he lost the championship match to Novak Djokovic, who withdrew this time. And he did so without dropping a set, which was last accomplished by Ivan Lendl in 1986.
The crowd inside the Inalpi Arena included multiple clusters of fans wearing orange — a tribute to Sinner’s red- and orange-coloured hair, and how he once ate carrots during a match.
Sinner faced a break point while serving for the first set but saved it with a big serve out wide that Fritz was unable to return. Then he served an ace, his 10th of the set, to close it out.
Another break by Sinner early in the second and the match was virtually over.
Sinner extended his winning streak to 11 matches. He’s won 26 of his last 27 matches and ends the ATP season with eight titles and an overall record of 70-6.
Sinner won his first two Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and US Open in 2024 and had already clinched the year-end No.1 ranking.
The year could yet have one more triumph, with Sinner set to head to Malaga, where he will attempt to help Italy successfully defend the Davis Cup title.
But Sinner also tested positive in two separate drug tests in March and a decision to clear him of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency in September. A final ruling is expected from the Court of Arbitration for Sport early next year.
Sinner’s explanation was that the banned performance-enhancer entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat his own cut finger.
https://thewest.com.au/sport/tennis/sinner-underlines-supremacy-with-atp-finals-triumph-c-16785154
