Jannik Sinner deserves to be recognized by everyone as the best player of this season. The Italian ace was truly exceptional in 2024 and ended the year at the top of the ATP rankings with a huge advantage over all his opponents.
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Some fans and insiders argued that Carlos Alcaraz should be considered the best having become the youngest ever to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year, but Jannik's numbers in 2024 are really scary.
The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria has won eight titles (two Grand Slams, three Masters 1000, two ATP 500 and the ATP Finals), has collected more than 90% of victories and has suffered only six losses from January to date. The world number 1 has been practically unstoppable, especially on hard courts, managing to win even when he has not played his best tennis.
Sinner's ability to make the difference in decisive moments is truly unique and differentiates him from Alcaraz, who struggles to find alternative solutions when he is not particularly inspired. Jannik has just won the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin and has guaranteed himself the certainty of remaining number 1 even after the 2025 Australian Open.
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The Italian champion will prepare in Dubai and then go straight to Melbourne, where he will have to defend the title he won in 2024. Although he had already improved a lot in the latter part of last year, no one could have imagined that Sinner would have such a brilliant rise.
The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria has become the dominator of the men's tour and no one seems to be able to counter him right now. Only Alcaraz has the weapons to defeat him, while the other rivals enter the court terrified by his power. The 2-time Grand Slam champion won in Turin last week without losing a single set, never giving the feeling of being in trouble.
Sinner's beautiful letter
Jannik is very proud of the results he has achieved in the last twelve months and has written a beautiful letter to himself.
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"Dear Jan, I think that the emotions you experienced over the past year will be with you for a long time. The only goal you had set for yourself was to understand what you were capable of," he wrote.
The Italian ace continued: "You are definitely arriving at this Davis Cup more aware of your abilities compared to a year ago.
You did well to hold up when everyone had an opinion about you, especially those who didnt really know you," Sinner wrote in the letter. "From 2024, you have learned that the important people who know you well are the ones you should keep close forever."
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An impressive aura
The world number 1 was decisive in Italy's victory over Argentina at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. The Italian team was in trouble due to Lorenzo Musetti's loss to Francisco Cerundolo in the first match of the tie. However, Sinner's contribution was really fundamental. The 2-time Grand Slam champion dropped just three games to Baez in the second singles and won the decisive doubles together with his compatriot Matteo Berrettini.
Argentina played to the best of its possibility and achieved its goal of taking the tie to the decisive doubles, but Sinner's strength made the difference on this occasion as well. Jannik's mere presence on court terrifies opponents at the moment, which is why Italian captain Filippo Volandri has decided to use him in doubles instead of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. The latter two veterans had an exceptional season in doubles also reaching the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, but the choice to field Sinner and Berrettini proved to be the right one.
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After this amazing tie, Guillermo Coria paid tribute to the World No.1: We all knew Sinners level, the moment he is in. We faced one of the best number ones in history. Hislevel did not surprise us at all.
Because of that, one has to take into account three important things: how our players are physically, also the power of the rival and the alternatives we have to form in each of the points.
The former World No.3 added: Italy showed great respect for our doubles, leaving out a very competitive pair that came from the Finals and fielding the No 1 in the world even with little rest behind him.
We were almost sure that it would have gone like this in the event of 1-1. Gonzalez and Molteni were prepared for this eventuality and I never thought of putting a singles player in their place. They deservedly won, we congratulate them.