Jannik Sinner Makes History as First Italian to Win ATP Finals
In front of a roaring home crowd, 23-year-old Jannik Sinner etched his name into the history books by becoming the first Italian to win the ATP Finals. Sinner defeated American Taylor Fritz with a commanding 6-4, 6-4 victory on Sunday in Turin.
Sinner, who had fallen short in last year’s final against Novak Djokovic, showcased his growth and determination throughout the tournament. This year, he remained undefeated and didn’t drop a single set, earning an impressive $4,881,500 in prize money.
The match was a rematch of their thrilling US Open encounter earlier this year. Sinner seized control early, breaking Fritz’s serve with a deft drop shot to lead 4-3 in the first set. He sealed the opener with his 10th ace, demonstrating his powerful serving.
Fritz, the first American to reach the ATP Finals final since James Blake in 2006, fought valiantly but was unable to overturn Sinner’s momentum. A forehand error in the second set gave Sinner the crucial break, allowing him to wrap up the match in just 85 minutes.
With this victory, Sinner capped off a phenomenal season, winning 26 of his last 27 matches and securing eight titles—more than any other player on tour this year. His 70th win of the season also made him the first player since Ivan Lendl in 1986 to clinch the ATP Finals without dropping a set.
Despite the loss, Fritz can take solace in reaching a career-high ranking of world number four when the new rankings are released on Monday.
Earlier in the day, the German duo of Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz claimed the doubles title. They edged out Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic 7-6(5), 7-6(6), becoming the first German pair to win the tournament.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
