_
_
_
_

Djokovic wins record 7th ATP Finals title by beating Sinner in straight sets

The Serbian took 1 hour and 43 minutes to win 6-3, 6-3 as he continues to reach new heights at the age of 36

Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates with a trophy after winning ATP final against Italy's Jannik Sinner.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates with a trophy after winning ATP final against Italy's Jannik Sinner.GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE (REUTERS)

Novak Djokovic ended the year just as he started it — by setting records. The top-ranked Djokovic won a record-breaking seventh ATP Finals title on Sunday with a straight-set victory over home favorite Jannik Sinner. Djokovic took 1 hour, 43 minutes to win 6-3, 6-3 as the Serbian continues to reach new heights at the age of 36.

He started 2023 with a record-extending 10th Australian Open title and went on to win his 23rd Grand Slam tournament at the French Open, breaking Rafael Nadal’s mark. Djokovic, who lost the Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz, also won the U.S. Open.

“One of the best seasons I’ve had in my life, no doubt,” Djokovic said. “To crown it with a win against a hometown hero in Jannik, who has played amazing tennis this week, is phenomenal.”

Djokovic entered Sunday’s final tied with Roger Federer on six titles at the season-ending tournament for the year’s top eight players.

And he stretched out his arms and beamed broadly after clinching his seventh when Sinner double-faulted.

The victory had echoes of the clinical way Djokovic dispatched second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz in Saturday’s semifinal encounter.

“I’m very proud of the performances these last two days against Alcaraz and Sinner, probably the best two players in the world next to me and Medvedev at the moment, and the way they have been playing I had to step it up,” Djokovic said.

“I had to win the matches and not wait for them to hand me the victory and that’s what I’ve done. I think I tactically played different today than I have in the group stage against Jannik, and just overall it was a phenomenal week.”

It was his fourth win over Sinner, who had recorded a first-ever victory against Djokovic in the group stage in Turin and was the first Italian to reach the final.

But Djokovic was in imperious form on Sunday and won 14 straight points from the end of the first set to the third game of the second to leave him firmly in control and subdue the Turin crowd.

Djokovic had already secured the year-end No. 1 ranking for a record-extending eighth time by winning his opening match at the ATP Finals.

After this tournament, Djokovic will become the first player to hold the No. 1 ranking for 400 weeks, with Roger Federer at 310 the only other man to eclipse the 300-week mark.

It was also only the second time in the last 15 years that a player has made the finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments and the ATP Finals. The only previous occasion was when Djokovic did it in 2015.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition

Tu suscripción se está usando en otro dispositivo

¿Quieres añadir otro usuario a tu suscripción?

Si continúas leyendo en este dispositivo, no se podrá leer en el otro.

¿Por qué estás viendo esto?

Flecha

Tu suscripción se está usando en otro dispositivo y solo puedes acceder a EL PAÍS desde un dispositivo a la vez.

Si quieres compartir tu cuenta, cambia tu suscripción a la modalidad Premium, así podrás añadir otro usuario. Cada uno accederá con su propia cuenta de email, lo que os permitirá personalizar vuestra experiencia en EL PAÍS.

En el caso de no saber quién está usando tu cuenta, te recomendamos cambiar tu contraseña aquí.

Si decides continuar compartiendo tu cuenta, este mensaje se mostrará en tu dispositivo y en el de la otra persona que está usando tu cuenta de forma indefinida, afectando a tu experiencia de lectura. Puedes consultar aquí los términos y condiciones de la suscripción digital.

More information

Archived In

Recomendaciones EL PAÍS
Recomendaciones EL PAÍS
_
_