Sinner Captures First ATP Finals Title with Victory Over Fritz

November 17, 2024

Italian Jannik Sinner Lifts her ATP Finals trophy after winning against America’s Taylor Fritz at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Sunday Nov. 17, 2024.

Jannik Sinner capped off an incredible 2024 season in style on Sunday, clinching his first Nitto ATP Finals title. The world No. 1 secured his eighth title of the year, the most on the ATP Tour, after outplaying Taylor Fritz to a 6-4, 6-4 victory. In doing so, Sinner became the first Italian ever to win the prestigious tournament in its 55-year history.

After starting the year with victory at the Australian Open and capturing his second Grand Slam of the year at the US Open, Sinner’s season ended with a first title win on home soil. Throughout the match, every aspect of his game, especially his serve, was on full display. He won an impressive 83% of points behind his first serve, making it a key weapon in his performance.

With his straight-sets victory, Sinner became the first player to win the Nitto ATP Finals without dropping a set since Ivan Lendl in 1986 and extending his winning streak to 11 matches. After securing his Tour-leading 70th win of the year, Sinner also made history as the first player born in the 2000s to claim the prestigious season-ending title, having fallen to Djokovic in last year’s final.

“It’s been an amazing week—it’s my first title in Italy, and it means so much to me, I’m very happy. It’s something very special. I just tried to understand what works best for each opponent, trying to play my best possible tennis. That was the key,” said Sinner, who now boasts a 50-3 record on hard courts in 2024.

In a rematch of both the US Open final and Tuesday’s round-robin encounter, Sinner delivered a masterful performance, shutting down Fritz’s chances to gain momentum. The Italian’s relentless play from both wings allowed him to cruise to an 85-minute victory, improving to 4-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Fritz.

“It’s been a really good week for me, and a great way to end the year. It gives me a lot of confidence going into the off-season and starting next year. I know what areas I need to improve, but I also feel like I’m playing some really good tennis,” said Fritz. After his impressive run to the championship match in Turin, Fritz is set to achieve a new career-high ranking of No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Fueled by the support of a roaring home crowd of 12,500 at the Inalpi Arena, Sinner applied relentless pressure on Fritz’s serve in the seventh game. Despite the American saving three break points, he couldn’t hold off the Italian, who expertly moved him around the court before finishing with a perfectly placed drop shot to break on his fourth attempt.

In a controlled first set, Sinner neutralized Fritz’s forehand, limiting the American to zero winners off that side. The number one seed’s serve was the standout weapon, earning him 10 aces from 21 first serves.

Sinner kept up the pressure in the second set, wearing down Fritz before seizing a crucial break in the fifth game. The American was unable to create any break point opportunities on Sinner’s serve as the Italian surged to his 50th hard-court win of the season.

In the Nitto ATP Finals doubles final, eighth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz claimed the title by defeating top seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic 7-6(5), 7-6(6).