Novak Djokovic, the top-ranked player, capped off the year by setting records, making tennis history with his seventh ATP Finals title on Sunday, defeating Jannik Sinner in straight sets 6-3, 6-3, in just 1 hour and 43 minutes.
In 2023, Djokovic started the year with his 10th Australian Open victory and then went on to win his 23rd Grand Slam singles trophy at the French Open, breaking Rafael Nadal’s record. Although he lost in the Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz, he bounced back to win 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.”
Before Sunday’s final, Djokovic and Roger Federer were neck and neck with six titles each at the season-ending tournament featuring the year’s top eight players.
When Sinner double-faulted, Djokovic secured his seventh title and celebrated by stretching out his arms with a broad smile.
This victory reminded him of his convincing semifinal victory over second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday.
“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 (Daniil) 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 differently today than I did in the group stage against Jannik and overall, it was a phenomenal week.”
This marked Djokovic’s fourth win over Sinner, who had achieved his first-ever victory against Djokovic during the group stage in Turin. Sinner’s journey to the final also made history as he became the first Italian to reach this stage.
On Sunday, Djokovic’s outstanding performance included winning 14 points from the first set’s end to the second set’s third game, firmly establishing control and silencing the Turin crowd.
Djokovic secured the year-end No. 1 ranking for an eighth time by winning his opening ATP Finals match. After this tournament, he’ll be the first player to hold the No. 1 ranking for 400 weeks, with only Roger Federer at 310 weeks reaching a similar milestone.
Additionally, this marks only the second time in the last 15 years that a player reached the finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments and the ATP Finals, with Djokovic achieving this feat previously in 2015.
Sinner arrived at the final with an unbeaten record in Turin and the passionate support of a hometown crowd, all hoping to witness him become the first Italian to claim victory in the tournament’s 54-year history.
But the 22-year-old Sinner could offer little in response to a masterclass from Djokovic, especially in a blistering first set that lasted just 38 minutes and saw the Serbian win 20 of 22 service points. Djokovic also served up 13 aces during the match.
“Congratulations to you, Novak, for this week and not only: you started the season by winning and you ended it by winning; you won three Slams and many other tournaments,” Sinner said. “What else is there to say? You’re an inspiration not only for all those watching but especially for the players.
“I also want to thank my team ... we saw also today that I can still improve a lot, but we can look at the positive things from this season. When we started the year, I was one player and now I’m another. Thanks to you, who have helped me understand so many things.”
