Novak Djokovic received a file seventh ATP Finals title with a dominant victory over Jannik Sinner that marked one other milestone in his memorable season.
The Serb, 36, who misplaced to the Italian within the group stage, avenged that with a 6-3 6-3 win in Turin, Italy.
He has set information in rankings and titles this yr and performed a few of his greatest tennis towards the kids – like Sinner – making an attempt to problem him.
“One of the best seasons I’ve had in my life, no doubt,” Djokovic stated.
“It’s very special. To crown it against a hometown hero in Jannik this week is phenomenal,” he added in feedback to Amazon Prime.
“Tactically I played differently today than in the group stage against Jannik. Overall, a phenomenal week.”
Earlier than the singles remaining, there was British success within the doubles when Joe Salisbury and American accomplice Rajeev Ram retained their title with a straight-set win over Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.
Djokovic ‘steps it up’ towards Sinner
World primary Djokovic had been tied with Roger Federer on six ATP Finals title wins, nevertheless it was clear from the outset in Sunday’s remaining that he was hungry to take the outright file.
He established management with an early break and dropped simply two factors on his serve in an nearly flawless show to take the opening set.
A break to like within the opening sport of the second set put Djokovic additional forward and made Sinner’s dream of changing into the occasion’s first Italian champion in entrance of a loud house crowd appear inconceivable.
Sinner’s first break-point possibilities got here within the sixth sport of the second set when he went 15-40 on the normally impenetrable Djokovic serve, however the 24-time Grand Slam champion swiftly snuffed out the risk by forcing his opponent into errors from the again of the courtroom.
Djokovic had the possibility to go a double break up within the following sport however, in a uncommon second of fallibility, as a substitute missed an easy volley earlier than Sinner held with an ace.
However he received his likelihood within the Italian’s subsequent service sport, with Sinner tamely handing over victory with a double fault on Djokovic’s first match level.
It was a far cry from the Italian’s efficiency towards the Serb on Tuesday, when a victory in three units ended Djokovic’s 19-match profitable streak.
However this was additionally a special Djokovic to then, with the Serb constructing on the good efficiency he put in towards world quantity two Carlos Alcaraz in Saturday’s semi-finals to ship an impressive show underpinned by him profitable an enormous 91% of first-serve factors.
“The way Carlos and Jannik have been playing, I had to step it up,” stated Djokovic, who should now certainly go into subsequent season as favorite to dominate but once more and try for but extra information.
Djokovic hits one other milestone in a record-setting yr
This yr has been stuffed with information for Djokovic and so it appears solely becoming that his tour season ought to finish with one other at an occasion the place he was already its oldest champion.
Sunday’s victory pulled him forward of Federer for titles received on the ATP Finals, whereas he was confirmed as year-end males’s world primary for a record-extending eighth time earlier within the match.
This yr he additionally surpassed Steffi Graf’s file for probably the most weeks spent on the prime of the singles rankings, together with his tally now about to face at 400 from Monday.
Djokovic received three of this season’s 4 Grand Slam singles titles to overhaul Rafael Nadal’s males’s tally of twenty-two and draw stage with Australian Margaret Court docket’s all-time file of 24.
That included a record-extending tenth title on the Australian Open – which is the place in January he’ll get the possibility to turn into the outright file holder with a twenty fifth main.
His French Open victory in June made him the one man to win a profession Grand Slam – all 4 main titles – thrice.
And this yr he additionally set a file for many Grand Slam remaining appearances with 36, two greater than Chris Evert’s earlier mark, and earlier this month he received a record-extending seventh Paris Masters trophy for a record-extending fortieth Masters title.
Whereas his tour season is over, Djokovic’s taking part in season continues subsequent week on the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, Spain, the place he’ll lead Serbia of their quarter-final towards Nice Britain on Thursday – a tie which you can watch on the BBC and follow with live text commentary on the BBC Sport website.
