Jannik Sinner joins elite club with victory at ATP Finals
What's the story
Men's singles world number one, Jannik Sinner has entered an elite club of tennis greats after winning his first match at the 2024 ATP Finals. The 23-year-old Italian overcame Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4 in Turin. The win not only improved his head-to-head record against the Australian to a stunning 8-0 but also saw him join the likes of Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras, and Rafael Nadal in a special feat.
Winning streak
Sinner's impressive record against top 10 players
Sinner's win over de Minaur was his 13th against an ATP top-10 player in the ongoing season. The feat is similar to what he achieved last year when he also registered 13 wins against top players. With this, Sinner has become only the fifth player aged 23 or under to achieve the feat in successive years on the ATP Tour, joining Borg, Lendl, Sampras, and Nadal.
Season performance
Sinner's 2024 record and notable victories
So far in 2024, Sinner has an incredible 66-6 record. His only defeat to a player outside the top 10 came against Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is currently ranked 12th. Among his marquee wins this year are four over Daniil Medvedev and two each over Andrey Rublev and Novak Djokovic. He has also defeated Holger Rune, Grigor Dimitrov, Hubert Hurkacz, Alexander Zverev, and de Minaur once each this season.
Match analysis
Sinner's strategic gameplay secures victory against de Minaur
Sinner took charge despite dropping his serve in the third game. He evaded another break point thereafter in the match. He got a second break to lead 4-2 in the first set, and a solitary break at 3-2 was enough to seal the second set. Speaking about his performance against de Minaur, Sinner said every match against him is tough because of his fighting spirit and adaptability.