Home favourite Jannik Sinner made history on Sunday, becoming the first Italian to win the prestigious ATP Finals title after a commanding 6-4, 6-4 victory over Taylor Fritz. The world number one, who lost in last year's final to Novak Djokovic, delivered an almost flawless performance to secure the coveted trophy in front of his adoring home crowd.
In a repeat of the 2024 U.S. Open final, Sinner maintained his dominance, finishing the week undefeated and without dropping a set. His stellar performance was rewarded with a prize of $4,881,500, marking the pinnacle of a spectacular season.
The match was a showcase of Sinner's precision and poise. The 23-year-old Italian broke Fritz's serve with a sublime drop shot to take a 4-3 lead in the first set, before wrapping it up with his 10th ace of the match. The American, who made history by becoming the first U.S. player to reach the ATP Finals since James Blake in 2006, struggled to maintain consistency against the relentless Sinner. In the second set, Fritz faltered again, hitting a forehand long to surrender his serve, allowing Sinner to seal the victory in just 85 minutes.
"It's amazing. Just an amazing week. For me, it's a first title in Italy, so it means so much to me," Sinner said after the match, visibly emotional. "I'm very happy about that, it's very special. I just try to understand what works best for each opponent, try to play the best tennis possible. That was the key; I played a high-level tournament from my side. At times I couldn't play better, so I'm very happy."
Sinner's 2024 season has been nothing short of extraordinary, despite facing an anti-doping controversy that briefly clouded his achievements. On the court, however, he has been almost unstoppable, winning 26 of his last 27 matches and capturing eight titles, including the ATP Finals. His win in Turin also marked his 70th victory of the season, making him the first player since Ivan Lendl in 1986 to win the ATP Finals without dropping a set.
Fritz, who had an impressive run to the final, will nonetheless be ranked a career-high fourth in the world following the tournament. "I just want to say congrats to Jannik and his team. Insane year, honestly. It's really impressive," the 27-year-old said. "Thank you to my team for putting up with me. It's been a great week for me. I felt the love all week long."
Earlier in the day, Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz triumphed in the doubles final, edging Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic 7-6(5), 7-6(6) to become the first German duo to win the ATP Finals doubles title.
Source: India Today