A wonderful season that has not yet come to its conclusion. Jannik Sinner reached his eighth final in 2024 and will be looking to win his seventh title of this fantastic year tomorrow. After losing the final in Beijing to Carlos Alcaraz at the end of an epic battle, the worldnumber 1 did not lose heart and returned to express his best tennis in the Masters 1000 in Shanghai.
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The two-time Grand Slam champion has raised his level as he goes through the rounds and is ready for the most important moments of this tournament. The Italian ace eliminated Ben Shelton - taking revenge on last years defeat in China - before defeating Daniil Medvedev and Tomas Machac, who had beaten Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.
With the victory obtained today, Jannik has got the mathematical certainty to close 2024 in top ATP ranking. The US Open champion deserved to achieve this goal, having been by far the most consistent player this season. Sinner has won over 60 matches this year and suffered only six defeats, including three from his big rival Alcaraz. Tomorrow he will try to win the fourth Masters 1000 of his young career.
An outstanding milestone
The worldnumber 1 can be really proud of the results he has achieved this season. Despite the delicate doping case that hit him, Jannik has always kept the necessary concentration on the tennis court and his level never dropped during the season. During the press conference, Sinner opened up on his amazing season: I always try to improve as a player. For me, it depends on how you start the season. If you start well, you have much more confidence throughout the year. I try to stay there in every match, trying to find the solution."
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He is the first Italian ever to close the year as the World No.1: "It's a good feeling, I'm very happy to have achieved it. It has been an incredible season for me, and it's not over yet. Tomorrow a great final awaits me, my first final here in Shanghai. Being the world number one at the end of the year is a dream. It's very good for Italy because it is a great country; we have everything we need: mountains, beaches, different mentalities... I am very proud to be Italian, to give something back to the fans."
After the tournament in Shanghai, the 23-year-old from San Candido will fly to Saudi Arabia for the 'Six Kings Slam' along with Djokovic, Nadal, Alcaraz, Medvedev and Rune. Sinner will face Medvedev in his first match in Saudi Arabia, while the winner of that match awaits 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic in the semifinals.
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The Italian ace wont defend last years title in Vienna, as he prepares for the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000 and the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. The two-time Grand Slam champion has played at a very high level this year, never dropping and reaching at least the quarterfinals in all tournaments he has played. Although he does not have the game peaks of his great rival Alcaraz, Sinner has a consistency and mental strength that allow him to win even on days when he does not express his best tennis.
Sinner impresses
Speaking with Eurosport, seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander praised two young champions like Sinner and Alcaraz: To me, its up there with the absolute best sporting events ever. It keeps happening every single time they play. They come up with suspense, they come up with entertainment.
What you see with them is that the match can go any direction. Either of them can win. Neither of them are intimidated by the other person. There are momentum changes in their matches just like any other tennis match, but they dont last that long. They last for five or ten minutes maximum, and then the other guy comes back and does something, and then hes back on top. They are following in the footsteps of the Big Three in terms of level.
I hope Roger, Novak, and Rafa are not listening, but in terms of level, when Sinner and Alcaraz are at their best, there is no way anyone has ever played better tennis, that the tennis ball has done more different, complicated, difficult things than the ball is doing between Sinner and Alcaraz. In anticipation of the results of the last part of the season, it is safe to say that 2024 by Jannik is one of the best seasons of the modern era. The Italian ace has shown that he can really make history of this sport.
