In a span of just 12 days, Jannik Sinner has faced Novak Djokovic three times: twice in the ATP finals and once in the Davis Cup.
And the matches were a treat to all tennis fans, as this evolved into a thrilling trilogy that had everybody on the edge of their seats.
In their first matchup at the round-robin stage, Sinner triumphed over Djokovic with 7-5 6-7 7-6 . The Italian then deemed it the biggest win of his career, as this marked the first time that he had ever beaten the 24-time grand slam champion in their head-to-head series.
In their second matchup at the ATP finals, however, Djokovic sought retribution over Sinner and won two straight sets 6-3, 6-3 to clinch the 7th ATP title of his career.
Despite losing in front of the home crowd, Sinner took the loss with grace and said that Djokovic is truly an inspiration on court.
Davis Cup
Coincidentally, their respective teams were among the top eight finalists in the Davis Cup. And so right after the ATP finals, the two flew straight from Turin, Italy, to Malaga, Spain, to compete in the prestigious World Cup.
To the best of their abilities, the two then helped their own countries overcome their respective opponents: Italy, which was up against the Netherlands, and Serbia, which was up against Great Britain.
Italy vs. Serbia
Both advancing to the semi-finals, the two then set out to play the last of their three-part series this month.
The odds were lopsided to favor Djokovic, winning 4 out of their 5 meetings.
But this didn’t stop Sinner from saving Italy.
Serbia’s Kecmanovic had just defeated Italy’s Musetti 6-7 (7) 6-2 6-1 in the first round, and if Sinner lost, Italy would be ousted.
As the match ensued, Sinner took the first set 6-2, but Djokovic recovered and took the second set 2-6.
In the final set, Djokovic had the advantage to win over Sinner as the score got to 4-5, 0-40. However, in a surprising turn of events, the 22-year-old saved three consecutive match points and ultimately took down Djokovic.
The final score came to 6-2,2-6,7-5. Having tied (Italy-1, Serbia-1), this sent the game to a decisive doubles.
̷I̷M̷𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐄 🫡🇮🇹#DavisCup #DavisCupFinal #Sinner #Djokovic #Italia pic.twitter.com/LvQjMmHwmF
— Eurosport IT (@Eurosport_IT) November 25, 2023
When asked about how he won the three match points in a row, Sinner said in an interview that he had no idea and that it was a roller coaster.
In celebration, Sinner was embraced by members of Team Italy and dubbed ‘Italia’s hero’ on X.
Read More News