World No. 1 and home favourite Jannik Sinner defeated American Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 at Turin to become the first Italian to win the ATP Finals title.
After losing to Novak Djokovic in the previous season’s final round, Sinner did not make a mistake this time around to earn the $4,881,500 prize money, finishing the match without dropping a set.
In a social media post, Sinner expressed his gratitude by stating: “Grazie Torino!!!! 🏆💪🏻💪🏻💚🤍❤️”
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Highlights of the match
The 23-year-old Sinner took a 4-3 lead in the finals after breaking Fritz’s serve with a stunning drop shot. He then scored the first ace of the match.
Moreover, after sending a forehand long in the second set, Fritz– the first American to make it to the finals since James Blake in 2006– also dropped serve, allowing Sinner to win the match in 85 minutes.
After his victory, Sinner said: “It’s amazing. Just an amazing week. For me, it’s a first title in Italy, so it means so much to me. I’m very happy about that, it’s very special.”
He added: “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, who faced doping allegations this season, is the first player to win the ATP Finals without losing a set since Ivan Lendl in 1986. This is also his 70th victory of the year.
Fritz will place fourth in the rankings for the first time in his career despite his loss. The athlete declared: “I just want to say congrats to Jannik and his team. Insane year, honestly. It’s really impressive… Thank you to my team and putting up with me. It’s been a great week for me. I felt the love all week long.”
Source: CNA