Jannik Sinner won the ATP Finals without losing a single set and made his season truly unforgettable. The Italian ace's numbers in 2024 project him into the history of the sport and lead us to think that he could become one of the best players ever.
The world No. 1 became the first player since Ivan Lendl to win the last event on the ATP calendar without losing a single set during his run. The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria was never in trouble all week and did not have to play a single long set (unlike Lendl).
When Carlos Alcaraz was eliminated in the group stage and Alexander Zverev lost in the semifinals, everyone understood that Jannik would lift the trophy. The Spaniard and the German were the only two players who could cause problems for Sinner on this surface, but their run in Turin was interrupted earlier than expected for different reasons.
Waiting for the Davis Cup Finals, the Italian ace ends his individual season with eight titles (two Majors, three Masters 1000, the ATP Finals and two ATP 500) and having won 70 of the 76 matches played in 2024. Impressive numbers that certify Jannik's new status.
An amazing win
The Italian champion had already shown significant improvements in the second half of 2023, but no one expected him to dominate in this way in 2024. The world No. 1 has suffered just six losses since January, three of them against his great rival Carlitos Alcaraz.
I played some very, very good tennis throughout this whole week and at times I couldnt have played better.
Im very happy how I handled every situation on and off the court. Sharing this feel is amazing the Italian ace said during his press conference.
Its amazing. Its been an amazing week my first title in Italy and its something very, very special.
I tried to play the best possible tennis I can. That was the key. It was a very high-level tournament from my side and at times I couldnt play better so Im very happy he added.
The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria played an excellent final against Taylor Fritz, who gave his all to win the ATP Finals but lost to a better player. As had already happened in the US Open final and in the group stage in Turin, Jannik made the difference in the decisive moments and proved to be more complete than his opponent.
Fritz - in the post-match interview - acknowledged the superiority of the 2-time Grand Slam champion. Despite that loss, he can be proud of himself: Its been a really good week for me, it's a good way to end the year, said Fritz. Gives me a lot of confidence finishing the season. Going into my off-season, starting next year, I feel like I have a good idea of what things I need to improve on, but I also feel like I'm playing very good tennis.
Back when I was 5 in the world, I didn't feel like I was 5. Now I'm ranked where I'm at, I feel like I belong. It's a different feeling. It's been a great year. That gives me a lot of confidence to have that belief. That's a huge part of having the big results.
Sinner's schedule
All players will have to work hard during the off-season to get closer to Sinner's level. Only Alcaraz has been able to counter him this year, but the Spanish ace has not had the necessary consistency during the season. The world number 1 has a really wide gap over all his rivals in the ATP rankings, but he will have to defend a lot of points next season.
In addition, Jannik could be disqualified from the CAS due to the doping case that is still open. His first goal in 2025 will be to defend his title at the Australian Open, where his incredible run began this year. In this regard, Sinner has already revealed that he will not play any official tournament before the first Grand Slam of the season.
Jannik's season is not over yet. The world number 1 will be one of the protagonists of the Davis Cup Finals, which will start tomorrow in Malaga. The 2-time Grand Slam champion will try to lead Italy to its second triumph in a row after last year's. The Italian team will be composed of Sinner, Matteo Berrettini, Lorenzo Musetti, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. Fans hope to see a final between Italy and Spain, in which there would be a new chapter of the rivalry between Jannik and Carlitos.
