ATP Finals: Novak Djokovic overcomes Stefanos Tsitsipas, seeks sixth title
What's the story
Serbian ace Novak Djokovic defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the ATP Finals on Monday. The former won 6-4, 7-6(4), thereby ending Tsitsipas' quest for finishing as the top-ranked player (ATP Rankings). Djokovic now leads Tsitsipas 10-2 in their ATP head-to-head series. The former world number one aims to clinch a record-equaling sixth ATP Finals title. Here are the key stats.
Stats
A look at the stats of the match
Djokovic won a total of 66 points and 13 games in the match. Stefanos fired nine aces compared to Djokovic's three. While Djokovic won 16 receiving points, Tsitsipas clinched 13. Djokovic recorded two double faults. He registered a win percentage of 87 on the first serve and 80 on the second. Djokovic recorded five maximum points in a row.
Qualification
Djokovic's 15th appearance in the year-end championships
In October, Djokovic became the fifth player to qualify for the ATP Finals, joining Tsitsipas, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, and Casper Ruud. It was the 15th time the Serbian qualified for the year-end championships, the fourth-most along with Andre Agassi. As per ATP, only Roger Federer (18), Nadal, and Jimmy Connors (16 each) have reached the championships on more occasions.
Titles
Djokovic has won the ATP Finals five times
Djokovic has won the ATP Finals five times (2008, 2012-2015). He is at par with Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras on the list. The Serb will attempt to match Roger Federer's record of most ATP Finals singles titles (6). Notably, Djokovic defeated Federer twice to win the title (2012 and 2015). The latter gave Djokovic a walkover in 2014.
2022
Djokovic has won four titles this season
Djokovic owns four ATP titles and has a win-loss record of 37-7 in the ongoing season. Before winning Wimbledon, he reached the quarter-finals at the French Open. Djokovic missed the Australian Open and the US Open after refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Earlier this year, Djokovic won a record-extending 38th ATP Masters 1000 crown. He beat Tsitsipas to win the 2022 Italian Open.
Tsitsipas
Djokovic ends Tsitsipas' bid to top ATP Rankings
Tsitsipas has a tour-leading 60 wins in the ongoing season. He aimed to finish the season as the year-end number one in the ATP Rankings. However, the defeat to Djokovic brought an end to his chances. The Greek had to win the title as the undefeated champion in order to finish atop the rankings. Notably, Djokovic won the ATP Finals in 2019.