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ATP World Tour Finals: Djokovic claims record seventh title – as it happened

Novak Djokovic claimed a record seventh ATP Finals title in Turin, defeating Jannik Sinner to round off a stratospheric season

• 19 Nov 2023 Djokovic beats Sinner! 6-3, 6-3
• 19 Nov 2023 Djokovic wins the first set v Sinner: 6-3
• 19 Nov 2023 Preamble

The greater the stakes , the greater the performance from Novak Djokovic . This has always been one of the key pillars of Djokovic’s success as he has swept up all significant titles in sight so many times over, and it has also been perfectly demonstrated throughout another triumphant week in Turin.

And that will be all from me. Thanks for reading, and congratulations to Novak Djokovic , who looks ominously fit, not to mention motivated to continue this dominance for the next few seasons. The way he played in the first set and a half simply left Sinner with no answer. Did Alcaraz’s Wimbledon win signal a changing of the guard? I don’t think so. Bye for now.

Djokovic has a chat with Henman on Amazon Prime: “I think I prepared myself very well for this match, for the atmosphere. I knew the place is going to go wild, it’s going to be very loud, the whole place supporting him. Obviously I knew that … but one thing is to know, and expect, and another is to actually experience.

“I think the match we had in the group stage really helped me prepare myself mentally and emotionally for what’s coming up … and I said yesterday, after the match against Alcaraz , I’ve been striking the ball really, really nicely. I’ve been feeling great on the court. And I’m very proud of this achievement – obviously, four out of five biggest trophies this year, after a very long season.

“Obviously, unpredictability … Not knowing whether I’m going to qualify for semis or not … thanks for Jannik, for allowing me to do that. And then I played arguably the two best matches. The circumstances of playing Alcaraz and Sinner – two best matches this year, no doubt. High, high level of tennis. I’m very thankful for another success.

“The match yesterday, and today – playing against the top players in the world, top rivals. Today, playing against the whole stadium as well, backing Jannik to win the trophy. He was in red-hot form, probably playing his best tennis … and I think I delivered when I needed to. I stayed tough. I had the better mentality. When I clinched the year world No 1 after beating Rune I kind of felt, you know, satisfied with that. I was not really fully into my remaining matches of the group. But luckily for me, I got the chance to be in the semis … and then when I got in the there I kind of switched on, you know, and delivered my A-game, no doubt.

“I feel great on the court, obviously I have to pick and choose and adjust my schedule a bit. I can’t play as much as I played maybe 10, 15 years ago. But when I play I try and bring my best game which I’ve been doing in the last few years.”

Hantuchova reckons Djokovic will win five more slams. (He has 24 now.) Rusedski thinks he’ll win four more: 28.

“I could see him playing for another three years,” says Henman. “The element that is out of his control is his speed of movement … when you get half a step slower, that is going to affect your game … I think he will play for three more years and maybe win two slams a year … I wouldn’t be surprised if he hits 30 majors. What he has achieved is truly remarkable.”

The Australian Open begins on 14 January 2024, so not long to wait for more tennis.

It appears that Sky Sports are taking on the rights for live tennis that Amazon Prime have had for the past several years.

It seems to be the end of the road for Amazon Prime’s tennis coverage. Catherine Whitaker, Tim Henman, Daniela Hantuchova and Greg Rusedski are reflecting on their five years working together … Tim Henman singles out Emma Raducanu’s US Open victory in 2021 as the high point. Mark Petchey drops in some banter about not being paid for any of the commentary he’s done in the past five years.

Djokovic speaks (translated from Italian): “Congratulations to Jannik, and to your team, even though I know it wasn’t the result you wanted today … to my team, thank you for helping me to get through this. I’m 36 now so things are a bit tougher. The work and dedication of my team is incredible … my family and my team give me joy and strength.

“Thanks [to the crowd] for the support I received, even if Jannik was your favourite … it’s very special to play in front of you, because of the pressure you bring.

And now in English: “I just want to thank all the people who don’t speak Italian. Thanks for following us through this very long season. For me it’s been a very successful one, one of the best I had in my career. We had a lot of tournaments played around the world … it’s amazing to see so many people supporting tennis. We are lucky to be a part of this wonderful sport. So thanks again and hopefully see you tomorrow … no, next year!”

“ Thank you very much everyone, ” Sinner says after a huge ovation from the crowd. “Good evening. Congratulations to Novak on everything you’ve won this season … you’re an inspiration, not only for everyone watching, but for all the players.

“Thanks to my team … we’ve made a lot of improvements … we had a chance to play against the best in the world, and we have to look at all the positive things we’ve done, this week and this season.

“I would like to thank the federation … in 2019 I played the [ATP Finals] NextGen, with a wildcard … a few years later to be here, at such a beautiful tournament … Thank you to all the sponsors and the umpires.

“And thanks to all of you [the crowd]. You looked after me like I was a little baby … and you gave me power … let’s see what happens next, we still have the Davis Cup.”

We’re ready for the presentations. Here’s Jannik Sinner! He shakes hands with the dignitaries on court and cracks a big smile, which is good to see. The crowd produce a huge cheer when he holds up his runner-up trophy.

Henman, on Amazon Prime , says that “was some of the best tennis I’ve ever seen” from Djokovic.

In the first set and a half, he was indeed untouchable. Sinner had no answer. And while there were a couple of unforced errors from Djokovic with the finish line in sight, Sinner still he had to show considerable resolve to avoid it being a complete walkover.

“ Djokovic is a champion ,” emails Simonetta Vallone. “But it was great to see this young Italian player give us all these emotions!”

“ Very special ,” says Djokovic on Amazon Prime in reacting to another victory. “One of the best seasons I’ve had in my life, and to crown it with a win against the hometown hero Jannik, who’s played such great tennis this week, it’s phenomenal.

“I’m very proud of these performances these last two days against the best two players in the world, Alcaraz and Sinner, next to me.”

“ Once again he showed us how powerful his mind is,” says the Amazon Prime pundit, Hantuchova, of Djokovic.

“It’s a hard lesson for him [Sinner] to learn today … He needs to improve his mind under pressure,” says Greg Rusedski alongside.

“He’ll be super proud … and he’ll so confident going into 2024,” adds Hantuchova of Sinner.

The story of that match , in a way, was how much character Sinner showed to at least slow the momentum of Djokovic, who started like a runaway train. Djokovic served with utter ruthlessness in that first set in particular – Sinner could not put any pressure on when he was returning. But anyway, that is Djokovic’s seventh ATP Finals title – he surpasses his old rival Roger Federer, who won six. He is out there on his own.

Djokovic beats Sinner! 6-3, 6-3

At 15-15 Sinner directs an ugly volley into the tramlines, not the sort of error you can afford when Djokovic can smell blood. Impressively, Sinner is back on it next up, spanking a clean ace down for 30-30. Another error from Sinner, though, and it’s championship point for the iconic Serb … And Sinner double faults, and that’s the lot!

*Sinner 3-6, 3-5 Djokovic (*denotes next server)

There are cracks appearing in the Djokovic game when it had previously looked close to perfect. He hits another volley long for 0-15. It’s soon 0-30, and there is tension in the air when some noise from the crowd causes Djokovic to stop his service action. Sinner dumps the next return tamely into the net, and then hits long, and Djokovic has wrestled it back to 30-30. Sinner errs wide again, with an arguably excessively high-tariff attempted winner, but at 40-30 some more accurate hitting from Sinner draws an error from his opponent, who nets from the baseline. Djokovic, nevertheless, rounds off the hold and Sinner has to serve to stay in this.

Sinner 3-6, 3-4 *Djokovic (*denotes next server)

That was a marathon. Djokovic misses what looks an easy volley, Sinner belts down an ace, and Sinner holds after a long, long battle! That was huge. Sinner is still in this - but only just. Can he exert any pressure on the Djokovic serve next up? The players sit down for a drink.

Sinner 3-6, 2-4 Djokovic (*denotes next server)

Sinner draws a round of applause from Djokovic when he pegs his opponent back to 15-15 after losing the first point. Sinner hits high and wide next up and his body language is suddenly indifferent at best, slumping his shoulders and picking at his racket. But he unloads an accurate forehand on the next point to bring it back to 30-30. A sweet ace down the middle and that’s 40-30, but again Sinner can’t press home his advantage, coughing up an error into the net for deuce.

Some determined defence keeps Sinner in the next point, before a somewhat mishit forehand loops over the net and in, leaving Djokovic motionless! A deuce battle ensues, with Sinner having a couple of looks at game point … The third one comes when a Sinner forehand sneaks over the net off the cord.

The deuce battle turns out to be lengthy indeed, with Djokovic fighting back against some accurate serving by Sinner, who has noticeably raised his game since that first set. And still the deuce battle goes on …

*Sinner 3-6, 2-4 Djokovic (*denotes next server)

Sinner, for the first time, has a glimmer on the Djokovic serve at 0-30. He aims down the line on the next point, going for the jugular, but veers out wide and that’s 15-30. The crowd is up, anyway, hoping the home favourite can get this break back … and they roar with delight when Djokovic hits wide next up! That’s 15-40! Do we have a ball game?

Djokovic serves up a booming wide serve that Sinner can’t get back. 30-40. Another chance for Sinner to break … the crowd yell out their encouragement even when Djokovic is about to serve. Sinner hits long, throwing away another precious break point, and gives it the double-handled teapot stance to show his disgust.

Djokovic, having been on the back foot on serve for the first time, rounds off the hold. Sinner goes to the corner of the court for his towel, and is visibly annoyed at having let that chance slip.

The Eiffel 65 classic “Blue” rings around the auditorium. It’s a classic in the sense it’s very old, anyway. Djokovic to serve again …

Sinner 3-6, 2-3 *Djokovic (*denotes next server)

A Djokovic forehand, fizzing down the line like a particularly well-directed firework, makes it 15-15. But Sinner keeps his head up and finds a way to win the game, eventually rounding it off with a cathartic smash. “A couple of very gritty holds,” says Petchey on commentary of Sinner’s recent efforts.

*Sinner 3-6, 1-3 Djokovic (*denotes next server)

Djokovic cracks an opening ace down the middle. Then one out wide. 30-0. Then down the middle. 40-0. Sinner has won two points against the Djokovic serve at this stage. It’s a quite phenomenal display of serving. Another big serve – Sinner gets the frame of his racket on this one – but the ball flies almost straight upwards. And that’s the game.

Sinner 3-6, 1-2 *Djokovic (*denotes next server)

It’s quickly 0-30, and Sinner is teetering. But he brings a roar from the crowd by ending a run of 14 points in a row for Djokovic with a well-struck forehand as his opponent tries to regain position in the centre of the court. Next up, there is a lengthy baseline exchange and Djokovic blinks first, sending the ball wide. Sinner pumps up the crowd, shaking his fist and demonstrating that he has not lost hope. But on the next point a fearsome forehand to the corner is simply too good from Djokovic. Sinner stretches for it as best he can but can only get the frame of his racket on the ball.

Break point Djokovic – Sinner wrestles it back to deuce – but more high-class hustle from the Serb earns him another break point. The Italian does remarkably well to commit to his shots despite being break point down. Djokovic tries to pass him down the line but the ball flicks off the net and out. Djokovic looks stunned! He soon has another break point, but Sinner battles with spirit yet again, earns himself a game point, and then thumps a big serve down the middle which wins him the game. He shakes his fist and roars. Could he find a way? Physically, Sinner has looked a bit off the pace, but perhaps he’s beginning to warm up?

*Sinner 3-6, 0-2 Djokovic (*denotes next server)

Another collection of top-drawer Djokovic serves to which Sinner simply has no answer. The love hold is sealed with a crisp ace out wide. Djokovic pumps his fist. Can he break his opponent again, next up?

Sinner 3-6, 0-1 *Djokovic (*denotes next server)

Uh-oh. Sinner falls a break down immediately in this second and potentially final set, and it’s a break to love. At 0-30 Sinner is distracted by some movement in the crowd when he’s about to serve. He then opts to challenge but the ball from his opponent is comfortably on the line. That’s 0-40. On the next rally it’s Djokovic who is in total control again – Sinner floats a backhand long – and the Serb is well on the road to victory here unless Sinner can stage some kind of spectacular recovery.

Djokovic wins the first set v Sinner: 6-3

Sinner puts up a fight on the first point, but Djokovic wins another attritional rally, and he roars and pumps his fist like he’s just won a grand slam. He’s up for this one. At 40-0 on Djokovic’s second serve, Sinner tries a spinning forehand but it drops wide. And that’s the first set. The straight-sets predictions are looking good right now. Djokovic is dominating, serving and returning with utter conviction and accuracy.

“The controlled aggression, the consistency, the power,” says Henman of Djokovic. “Sinner looked a little bit flat when he was down a break in that first set, but he’s got to retain his belief, which is easier said than done.”

“ Why did he beat Rune ?” asks Kevin Mulherrin. “It [throwing the game against Rune and eliminating Djokovic] would have been a perfectly valid tactic. The object is to win the tournament and beating Djokovic once is difficult enough but TWICE!

“Under similar circumstances I suspect Djokovic and a lot of other players would have been more calculating.”

Sinner 3-5 *Djokovic (*denotes next server)

Sinner fires a huge serve down the middle for 30-0, but misdirects a big forehand into the net for 30-15. Djokovic, unquestionably, is the player hitting the ball with more authority. Sinner fluffs a backhand from the baseline and it’s 30-30. Djokovic has yet to miss with a second-serve return, and he is exerting serious pressure on Sinner in every facet of the game. Still, the 22-year-old produces an excellent first serve for 40-15, then smacks an ace down the middle for the game. The crowd chant and cheer, but Djokovic can serve for the first set.

*Sinner 2-5 Djokovic (*denotes next server)

Djokovic has his game face on. A succession of pinpoint-accurate serves, and a clumsy mishit from Sinner, helps him to a love hold. Sinner has to serve to stay in the first set. At this rate Djokovic is going to make short work of this final. The players sit down for a drink, the DJ drops the latest rework of The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall into My Mind) by the Bucketheads.

Sinner 2-4 *Djokovic (*denotes next server)

Sinner makes it 15-0 with a solid wide serve and winner into the open court. Djokovic gifts him the next point, hitting into the net, and at 40-0 Sinner tries to crush a forehand winner, inside-out, but only finds the net. However, Djokovic hits long next up, and Sinner reduces his first-set deficit, still a break down.

*Sinner 1-4 Djokovic (*denotes next server)

The Djokovic forehand is like a sledgehammer. He’s hitting it with complete authority, and Sinner is very much being forced on to the back foot, furrowing his brow and wondering how he can get a foothold in this first set. At 30-15, Djokovic cracks an ace down the middle, and easily wins the next point after a brief rally to seal the game.

“Novak Djokovic, the immovable force,” says Mark Petchey on commentary. I think he means immovable object?

Sinner 1-3 *Djokovic (*denotes next server)

After an unreturnable serve for 15-0, Djokovic leans into a hugely powerful forehand that would make most players crumble, but Sinner bravely stays in the point. Having gained the upper hand the Serb eventually hits a clean winner for 15-15. Sinner then mixes things up beautifully, crushing a big serve for 30-15, then hitting a delightful drop shot for 40-15 that Djokovic applauds.

Sinner comes to the net and volleys for the game, but Djokovic has his measure and hits a brilliant lob to peg him back to 40-30. Sinner unloads from the baseline on the next point, but can only find the net, and it’s deuce … then there is a break in play as it seems someone’s mobile phone is going off in the crowd. There’s always one.

At deuce, a powerful rally from both players ends with Sinner hitting long – it looks in – the Italian decides not to challenge, but Hawkeye indicates it did indeed clip the line. Oh well – Sinner coughs up an unforced error next up, hitting wide with another attempted big hit – and Djokovic is a break up.

*Sinner 1-2 Djokovic (*denotes next server)

At 30-0, Djokovic whips a powerful backhand wide – a sloppy error by his exacting standards. He’s back on it on the next point, bending an ace beyond the reach of Sinner for 40-15. The Italian is wayward with his next return, sending it wide, and that’s another easy enough hold for Djokovic. Time for a drink and a tune or two from the in-house DJ.

Sinner 1-1 *Djokovic (*denotes next server)

Whoah. There’s a helluva rally on the first point of Sinner’s service game. Sinner looks to have hit a winner cross-court, after a lengthy exchange from the baseline, but Djokovic hunts it down and returns with interest. Sinner holds on for 15-0. But the Serb is striking the ball imperiously. Djokovic hits long – 30-0 – then Sinner flops a shot into the net from the baseline for 30-15. Sinner thumps a massive wide serve for 40-15 which Djokovic, somehow, gets a racket on, but Djokovic hauls him back to 40-30. A lovely drop shot by Sinner seals the game and he pumps his fist, relieved to have avoided a deuce battle with his tenacious opponent.

*Sinner 0-1 Djokovic (*denotes next server)

A solid first serve down the middle sets up Djokovic to win the first point of the match. Then an ace, and it’s quickly 30-0, and another ace shaped out wide for 40-0. Sinner manages to get into a rally on second serve at 40-0, but is never really in the point, and that’s a very strong hold for Djokovic to kick things off.

“ I don’t think this is going to be a straight-sets match, I think this is going the distance,” says Greg Rusedski. “Today’s going to be a lot about belief. How much does Jannik Sinner really believe he can beat Novak Djokovic ?”

“ For me, I just think Djokovic is going to be a different animal,” says Tim Henman, court-side for Amazon Prime. “I think he’s going to find that way to play a little bit better and get across the line.”

Henman adds he thinks it’ll be Djokovic in straight sets, and Hantuchova agrees.

Sinner’s out on court first , bouncing up and down on his toes, shaking hands with the officials, all that jazz. Djokovic soon joins him. The Serb wins the toss and elects to serve first. Time for a quick photo and we are ready to go.

Here come the players. The young Italian, ranked No 4, is out first.

Are you a Sinner, or are you a winner? Maybe he can be both.

And now here’s Djokovic, walking out to suitably dramatic music.

Here we go, then. Well nearly. The Amazon Prime coverage has fired up, and the pundits are having a chat. “If he stays injury free, he should be lifting a grand slam next year,” says Daniela Hantuchova of Sinner’s progress.

My prediction is that this will definitely go to three sets.

In doubles news , Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury retained their ATP Finals title earlier on, beating Marcel Granollers and Marc Ceballos 6-3, 6-4 in the final.

TITLE DEFENDED 🏆🛡️ @RajeevRam & @joesalisbury92 are the best of the best in Turin, powering past Granollers/Zeballos 6-3, 6-4! #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/1dtsdVa04s — ATP Tour (@atptour) November 19, 2023

Andy Murray has been forced to withdraw from the Davis Cup and end his season after suffering a shoulder injury in training. He had been training at the National Tennis Centre this week and preparing for the final event of the year when he suffered the injury. Great Britain face Serbia on Thursday in Málaga at the Final 8 knockout stage of the Davis Cup finals.

Forget the tennis. A much bigger match will take place in Wimbledon next week as the All England Lawn Tennis Club takes on another local council over its plan to build an 8,000-seat stadium on a Grade II*-listed park .

The AELTC will on Tuesday night attempt to convince Wandsworth’s planning committee to vote through its proposal to build the 10-storey show court and 38 other grass courts on Wimbledon Park. Campaigners have described the proposals as an “industrial tennis complex”.

“ I predict Sinner to win ,” emails Abdul. “He has the momentum.”

After losing the semi-final, Medvedev predicted that Sinner – if he keeps up this form – will become world No 1 and win multiple grand slams. So perhaps Medvedev would agree with you, Abdul.

Then again, it’s Djokovic isn’t it? I didn’t see the semi-finals but it sounds like he fairly blew Alcaraz off the court.

For me, a tough one to call, but a match that both players will want to win. More searing insight coming up soon.

Will Sinner repeat the feat of earlier in the week and beat Djokovic a second time? Or will the Serb grind his precocious opponent into the dust? You can email me with your predictions.

This final, by the way, is best of three sets, just like all the other matches in the tournament.

Djokovic, it is fair to say , was not a happy customer on Thursday afternoon after he beat the alternate, Hubert Hurkacz, in three sets. The dropped set meant that qualification was put out of his hands and he proceeded to give some distinctly snippy post-match interviews. But it turned out all right when Rune was defeated by Sinner later that night.

The tale of the tape : Djokovic leads Sinner 3-1 in their head-to-head.

Djokovic won at the Monte Carlo Masters in 2021, in two sets, then at Wimbledon in 2022 and 2023. The quarter-final in 2022 was a five-setter when Djokovic hit back from two sets down in typically tenacious style. The semi-final this year was in straight sets.

But Sinner, of course, had Djokovic’s number earlier this week, which is what makes today’s match so fascinating.

Australia have just beaten India by six wickets to win the ODI Cricket World Cup!

Novak Djokovic has today’s opponent, Jannik Sinner, to thank for the fact he’s still here. Following the Serb’s group stage defeat by the Italian , Djokovic would have been eliminated had Holger Rune beaten Sinner on Thursday night.

As things turned out the home favourite won in three, which meant Djokovic joined him, Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals of this season-closing event in northern Italy. Djokovic blew away Alcaraz (the man who beat him in an epic Wimbledon final ) while the Russian, Medvedev, was dispatched by the increasingly confident Sinner.

Which brings us to today’s final. Djokovic already has the Australian Open, French Open and US Open in the trophy cabinet this year. Can the world No 4 find a way past the irrepressible Serb and prompt a smattering of erroneous ‘changing of the guard’ headlines? We’re about to find out.

Match start: 5pm UK time

• Novak Djokovic

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Djokovic wins record 7th ATP Finals title by beating Sinner in straight sets

Aptopix italy tennis atp finals.

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TURIN, Italy (AP) — Novak Djokovic ended the year just as he started it — by setting records.

The top-ranked Djokovic won a record-breaking seventh ATP Finals title on Sunday with a straight-set victory over home favorite Jannik Sinner .

Djokovic took 1 hour, 43 minutes to win 6-3, 6-3 as the Serbian continues to reach new heights at the age of 36.

He started 2023 with a record-extending 10th Australian Open title and went on to claim his 23rd Grand Slam singles trophy at the French Open, breaking Rafael Nadal's mark. Djokovic, who lost the Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz , also won 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."

Djokovic entered Sunday's final tied with Roger Federer on six titles at the season-ending tournament for the year’s top eight players.

And he stretched out his arms and beamed broadly after clinching his seventh when Sinner double-faulted.

The victory had echoes of the clinical way Djokovic dispatched second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz in Saturday's semifinal encounter.

“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 different today than I have in the group stage against Jannik, and just overall it was a phenomenal week.”

It was his fourth win over Sinner, who had recorded a first-ever victory against Djokovic in the group stage in Turin and was the first Italian to reach the final.

But Djokovic was in imperious form on Sunday and won 14 straight points from the end of the first set to the third game of the second to leave him firmly in control and subdue the Turin crowd.

Djokovic had already secured the year-end No. 1 ranking for a record-extending eighth time by winning his opening match at the ATP Finals.

After this tournament, Djokovic will become the first player to hold the No. 1 ranking for 400 weeks, with Roger Federer at 310 the only other man to eclipse the 300-week mark.

It was also only the second time in the last 15 years that a player has made the finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments and the ATP Finals. The only previous occasion was when Djokovic did it in 2015.

Sinner came into the final having won all of his matches in Turin and backed by a fervent home crowd, who had dreams of him becoming the first Italian to win the tournament in its 54-year history.

But the 22-year-old Sinner could offer little in response to a master class 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.”

AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

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ATP Finals: Novak Djokovic beats Jannik Sinner to win record seventh title

Novak Djokovic – who won the ATP Finals previously in 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2022 – has now eclipsed the record of six titles he shared with Roger Federer; following his 6-3 6-3 triumph over Jannik Sinner, the Serb said he wants a 'Golden Slam' in 2024

Monday 20 November 2023 07:58, UK

Novak Djokovic defeated home favourite Jannik Sinner at the ATP World Tour Finals in Turin to win the title for a record seventh time.

A ruthless Djokovic saw off Sinner in front of a passionate crowd, winning 6-3 6-3 to seal victory, after previously having lost to the Italian in the round-robin section of the competition.

Following his victory, the 36-year-old told reporters that he is eyeing a clean sweep of the majors next year as well as the singles gold medal at the Paris Olympics, to claim a 'Golden Slam'.

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Steffi Graf is the only player to have achieved the feat before, winning the Australian, French and US Opens, Wimbledon and a gold medal at the Seoul Olympics in 1988.

"You can win four slams and an Olympic gold," Djokovic said. "I have always the highest ambitions and goals. That's not going to be different for the next year.

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"The drive that I have is still there. My body has been serving me well, listening to me well. I have a great team of people around me.

"Motivation, especially for the biggest tournaments in sport, is still present. It still inspires me to keep going."

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The 24-time Grand Slam winner said he was "very, very proud" of his season. "Four out of five tournaments... I couldn't ask for more to be honest," he added.

"It's a great reward for what my team and I have been through this year, being one of the most successful years in my career that I've ever had."

Djokovic breezes by Sinner to break ATP Finals record

Djokovic asserted his control early in Sunday's ATP Tour showpiece against Sinner, producing a near faultless opening set – dropping just two points on serve – as he added yet another milestone to his incredible career.

The world No 1, who first won the tournament in 2008, now stands alone having won the title seven times, beating the record of six titles he previously shared with Roger Federer.

Throughout the second set, the Serb kept the foot on the accelerator, breaking Sinner in the opening service game and refused to let up despite some spirited resistance from the 22-year-old.

At one point Djokovic won 14 points in a row against a player ranked fourth in the world before Sinner briefly slowed the march of the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 @DjokerNole masters Sinner 6-3, 6-3 to capture a record SEVENTH #NittoATPFinals title! pic.twitter.com/329PwngtWt — ATP Tour (@atptour) November 19, 2023

Sinner avoided going a double break of serve down as Djokovic surprisingly failed to make a passing shot and Sinner then had points to break back in the sixth game but could not convert either of them.

Djokovic also failed to convert break points that would have given him a 5-2 lead as a few errors crept into his game.

The crowd tried their best to energise their man but Djokovic moved on towards victory and a Sinner double fault ended the contest. Djokovic moves past Federer to stand alone as the most successful player in the tournament's history.

His win concludes a year in which he won three of the four Grand Slam titles and seized back the world No 1 spot from Carlos Alcaraz and worryingly for the chasing pack he will head into 2024 looking as dominant as ever.

Brit Salisbury and partner Ram defend doubles title

Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram defended their ATP World Tour Finals men's doubles crown in style as they beat Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 6-3 6-4 in just over an hour.

The American-British extended their winning streak inside the Pala Alpitour to 10 matches after a blistering end to the year, which was sparked by the pair's triumph at Flushing Meadows as they claimed a third successive US Open title.

Since the first round in New York, they have won 17 of 19 matches – winning another tournament in Vienna along the way – and the sixth seeds certainly played like a team full of confidence on Sunday.

A Ram return winner against Granollers' serve on a deciding point clinched the only break of the first set in the fourth game, and they broke through against the Spaniard's delivery again for a 4-3 lead in the second before serving out for victory.

Salisbury said: "I think we've got better throughout the week. I think that was our best match, maybe along with the semi-final yesterday. I think we've served well and not got broken many times. We did that really well and managed to take the few chances we had today. I think we got a little bit of luck as well, but it seems like we get it in this place.

"We definitely didn't have a great first half of the year, and sometimes you need a bit of a shock, some tough times, to kind of kick you into gear and get you back to knowing what you were doing well, and how you were winning. We managed to do that and we've kept it going for a little bit, which is nice."

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ATP World Tour Finals

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The ATP World Tour Finals is the season-ending competition in men's professional tennis, featuring the top-eight singles players (and doubles teams) in the world rankings. Participants are split into two groups of four for round-robin play before traditional semifinal and final rounds determine a champion. Evolved from the year-end tournament known as the Masters Grand Prix that began in 1970, the ATP World Tour Finals has been held at the O2 Arena in London since 2009, when Barclays became the event sponsor. Roger Federer won a record-breaking sixth season-ending title in 2011.

The origin of the ATP World Tour Finals dates back to 1970, when the International Tennis Federation set up a grand prix structure of year-long events to culminate with a Masters event in Tokyo in December that featured the top-ranking men's players for that season. (The ITF rival tour, the World Championship Tennis Tour, also featured a season-ending event at the time, the WCT Finals.)

Ilie Nastase won four Masters titles in five appearances between 1971 and 1975, as the ITF became linked with the Association of Tennis Professionals, which would eventually run the men's tour. The year-end Masters moved to other major cities around the world in its first decade, including Paris, Barcelona, Boston, Melbourne, Stockholm, and Houston, before establishing a home at Madison Square Garden in New York from 1977 to 1989.

Bjorn Borg of Sweden won back-to-back events in 1979 and 1980, while American John McEnroe won three titles in his hometown. Ivan Lendl reached nine consecutive finals from 1980 to 1988, winning the championship in five of those years.

The event's name was changed to the ATP Tour World Championships in 1990, and it was held in Frankfurt and Hanover in Germany from 1990 to 1999. Those championships were dominated by Pete Sampras of the U.S., who won five titles during that period to tie Lendl's record mark.

The ITF and ATP made additional changes after the 1999 competition, when the ATP Tour World Championship and the men's Grand Slam Cup (a tourney held between 1990 and 1999) were discontinued and replaced by a new jointly owned, year-end men's event called the Tennis Masters Cup. Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten made history in the inaugural Tennis Masters Cup (played in Lisbon, Portugal) by becoming the first South American to finish the year with ATP's No. 1 ranking by defeating Sampras and Andre Agassi in the semifinals and final, respectively.

Australian Lleyton Hewitt won on home soil when the Tennis Masters Cup moved to Sydney in 2001, and he repeated as champion the following year in Shanghai. After two years in Houston -- with Roger Federer of Switzerland the victor both times -- the tournament returned to Shanghai for a four-year run from 2005 to 2008. Federer won successive titles in 2006 and 2007 before Novak Djokovic captured his first Tennis Masters Cup in 2008.

The event was renamed in 2009 as the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, with the O2 Arena in London named as host for the 2009 through 2012 tournaments. After Nikolay Davydenko won the 2009 edition, Federer claimed the trophy for a fifth time in 2010, equaling the mark of most individual titles set by Lendl and Sampras. He followed that up with another win in 2011, setting the event record with his sixth championship.

Format/Qualification

Qualification of entrants for the ATP World Tour Finals is based on ATP Tour rankings for that calendar year:

1. A selection list for the event includes: a) The top seven players in the ATP rankings as of the Monday after the final ATP World Tour tournament of the calendar year; b) Up to two Grand Slam winners from that year, in order of their positions, ranked between 8 and 20 in the ATP rankings as of that qualification date; and c) Players positioned eight and below in the ATP rankings as of that qualification date.

2. Direct Acceptances: The top-eight players in the selection list qualify for the event as direct acceptances. All direct acceptances must be available for play through the completion of the round-robin competition and the knockout competition, if eligible. Any withdrawal is replaced by the next highest positioned player on the selection list.

The O2 Arena is a multipurpose indoor arena located in London that has hosted numerous sporting events and musical/entertainment acts. Part of a larger O2 entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, the arena was opened in 2007 after three years of construction that redeveloped the Millennium Dome venue that housed the Millennium Experience in the city.

With an overall diameter of 365 meters and a volume equal to two of London's old Wembley Stadiums, the O2 Arena is the second largest arena in the United Kingdom. Various seating arrangements can be set up for events at the arena, which can hold a maximum capacity of 20,000.

The O2 Arena has played host to NHL regular-season games, NBA exhibition games, a number of UFC mixed martial arts events and the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in 2009. The facility was selected to serve as the home for tennis' ATP World Tour Finals from 2009 to 2012 and will become a venue for gymnastics and basketball events at the 2012 Olympic Games.

ATP World Tour Finals Year-by-Year Results

Gravy on a grand season.

Novak Djokovic is your top dog for a reason. He held off Roger Federer 7-6 (6), 7-5 to win the World Tour Finals championship. Story »

ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS QUICK FACTS

2012 atp world tour finals field.

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Atp world tour finals preview: the final, elena rybakina is a sore winner (this is a good thing), zendaya, josh o'connor and mike faist on the steamy love triangle of 'challengers', tatjana maria will follow daughter charlotte’s first tournament on live scores from madrid, “i hope to make it”: carlos alcaraz eyes madrid three-peat for 21st birthday gift, line calls, presented by fanduel sportsbook: wta mutua madrid open betting preview, without a driver's license, what will elena rybakina do with the stuttgart porsche, how does taylor feel about taylor fritz speaks on his appreciation for swift, novak djokovic named laureus world sportsman of the year for a fifth time, josh o’connor channels nick kyrgios in ‘challengers’ movie with co-star zendaya.

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'One of the best' - Djokovic says 2023 up there with his greatest seasons

22/12/2023 at 07:21

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17/11/2023 at 17:05

Tennis’ Grand Slams premium tour plan: More money, equal pay, fewer tournaments

After months of playing shots off the back foot, the four Grand Slam tournaments have gone on the offensive in the battle for the future of tennis . 

In meetings with representatives of the men’s ATP and women’s WTA tours last week in London, and with players and agents this week in Madrid, leaders of the Grand Slams have presented their strongest plan yet to reform the current structure of professional tennis. It consists of a premium tour anchored in the four Grand Slams and more top-level combined events, featuring the best players from the ATP and WTA circuits.

According to a person briefed on the proposal from the Grand Slams and the ensuing meetings, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect relationships, the details include the following:

• Doubling the prize money for the top 300 men.
• ⁠Almost quadrupling the prize money for the top 300 women.
• Using a portion of their own media rights to finance these changes.
• Equal pay , from inception, for men and women at all the events on the premium tour, instead of making women wait until 2027 to receive the same pay as men at some of the biggest tournaments.
• A schedule that includes the four Grand Slams, plus 10 other mixed top-level tournaments, with locations and dates to be determined, and a team event.
• The tour would end in time to allow for an off-season of six to eight weeks.

The plan would capitalize on the lucrative media rights of the Australian, French and U.S. Opens, alongside Wimbledon, and those of the other top Masters tournaments, to create a premium tour — various versions of which have been at the core of their previous proposals, but with little meat on the bones beyond that. ESPN’s 11-year-deal for the U.S. Open is worth almost $800 million (£647.7m), and it is estimated that media rights account for over half of the annual revenue for the All England Tennis Club, which stages Wimbledon, year in, year out.

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The Slams say the plans will vastly increase pay for men and women more quickly than the ATP and WTA can achieve, focus the season around 15 events in a premium tour and extend an off-season that has shrunk to just a few weeks for the top players.

Leaders of the Grand Slams and the tours were not immediately available for comment. 

How to fix tennis

Leaders of the ATP and the WTA, who have long viewed the collective plan from Wimbledon and the U.S., French and Australian Opens as a threat to their relevance and perhaps their existence, are not enthusiastic about this latest idea, according to the person briefed on the plan and the meetings.

Discussions between the tours and the Grand Slams have become less fraught in recent weeks, according to reporting from the BBC . While one official recently described “productive discussions” among the parties of late, this latest move could jeopardize any hint of detente that may have started to develop in the past few months.

It shows that even as the tours moved to firm up their control of the sport, the Grand Slams continued to work toward wresting it from them, something they have been pushing for since last summer.

The leaders of the two tours have long sought guarantees that they will have significant roles in governing the sport, and this iteration of a premium tour would relegate most of their tournaments to a lesser status which top players would have much less incentive to participate in. 

Now, the tours’ lack of enthusiasm might be moot, because by bringing the players into the discussion for the first time, the Grand Slams are playing a significant card.

It is their strongest move yet to curry favor with the people who have proven time and again to hold the most power in tennis — the stars of the sport, who attract the fans to buy tickets and to watch the matches at home.

They are now promising to give those players many of the things they have been seeking for years, including accelerating the closing of the gap in prize money that endures at several mixed 1000-level events and, overall, including greater financial rewards for a less demanding schedule than the current 11-month slog that incentivizes players to risk their health and wellbeing by playing in as many tournaments as possible.

The Grand Slams’ leaders have pushed for months to use existing 250 and 500-level tournaments to create a qualifying tour for players outside roughly the top 100. Top players could potentially participate in those events but not earn rankings points from them.

Most importantly, to help finance this premium tour, the Grand Slams have committed for the first time to include a portion of their media and sponsorship rights, which are the most expensive in the sport and that they have long kept largely for themselves.

For months, the Grand Slams had held back on such a commitment as they negotiated among themselves about how much of their resources they wanted to invest in an effort that would make them major financial partners in the future of the professional level of tennis, rather than independent entities that hold annual competitions — even if they are the sport’s biggest annual competitions of all.

However, during the past year, the tours have made a series of moves that the Grand Slams have viewed as a threat to their primacy, including potentially disrupting a schedule that climaxes four times a year with the Grand Slams.

Leaders of the organizations that control the Grand Slams have decided that the only way to ensure that they maintain their strength is through further investment in the overall management of the sport.

In meetings, and in a presentation at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, in March, top tennis leaders were still waiting for a premium tour plan that the Grand Slams had purportedly been fleshing out for months — to the extent that the proposed presentation had slipped from last November, at the ATP Finals in the Italian city of Turin. Four months later, no framework for the integration of media rights and other commercial partnerships was in place.

Now, another month on, the Slams have made their move.

The latest move comes after Andrea Gaudenzi, the leader of the ATP, pushed for the tours to invest in a plan that would bring in roughly $1billion of investment in tennis from Saudi Arabia . Most of that money would come from the sale of a new tournament, a 10th Masters 1000 event. 

A bid process for the event is ongoing, also involving Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, fellow Gulf state Qatar’s capital Doha and Australia, with most people involved in the process expecting the Saudis to prevail, adding the tournament to its three-year deals for the season-ending WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh, in November, and for the Next Gen Finals the following month.

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While a portion of the infusion of cash from Saudi Arabia would eventually filter down to the players, it comes with costs to the schedule that players already say is far too long, including adding another top-level, mandatory tournament, possibly at the very start of the calendar after the already-shrunken off-season. It’s also not yet clear what opportunities for additional growth would be available after the money from the additional tournament is spent.

The Grand Slams are operating on the principle that, in contrast, a premium tour that can pool its media rights and sell them as a singular, elite, exclusive package to sponsors and media companies — in the fashion of Formula 1 — could bring to the market the kind of focused tennis product that the fractured sport has been trying in vain to come up with for decades. 

The battle moves on.

(Top photo: Glyn Kirk/AFP)

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Matthew Futterman is an award-winning veteran sports journalist and the author of two books, “Running to the Edge: A Band of Misfits and the Guru Who Unlocked the Secrets of Speed” and “Players: How Sports Became a Business.”Before coming to The Athletic in 2023, he worked for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Star-Ledger of New Jersey and The Philadelphia Inquirer. He is currently writing a book about tennis, "The Cruelest Game: Agony, Ecstasy and Near Death Experiences on the Pro Tennis Tour," to be published by Doubleday in 2026. Follow Matthew on Twitter @ mattfutterman

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Never too late: Struff beats Fritz in Munich final for his first title at age 33

Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany celebrates winning the final match against Taylor Fritz of the United States at the Tennis ATP tournament in Munich, Germany, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany lifts the winner’s trophy after the final match against Taylor Fritz of the United States at the Tennis ATP tournament in Munich, Germany, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Taylor Fritz of the United States reacts during the final match against Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany at the Tennis ATP tournament in Munich, Germany, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany serves the ball during the final match against Taylor Fritz of the United States at the Tennis ATP tournament in Munich, Germany, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany returns the ball during the final match against Taylor Fritz of the United States at the Tennis ATP tournament in Munich, Germany, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Taylor Fritz of the United States returns the ball during the final match against Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany at the Tennis ATP tournament in Munich, Germany, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Taylor Fritz of the United States checks a line call during the final match against Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany at the Tennis ATP tournament in Munich, Germany, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Taylor Fritz of the United States watches the ball during the final match against Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany at the Tennis ATP tournament in Munich, Germany, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Taylor Fritz of the United States serves the ball during the final match against Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany at the Tennis ATP tournament in Munich, Germany, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

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MUNICH (AP) — Jan-Lennard Struff won his first title at the age of 33 with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Taylor Fritz in the BMW Open final on Sunday.

“To do it on home soil is just incredible,” Struff said. “I waited so long. I’m 33 years old and played so long on tour. It’s just an amazing feeling to do it here in Germany.”

The 28th-ranked German player had lost on his previous three appearances in finals, but he converted five of 11 break points he earned against Fritz to win in 1 hour, 19 minutes.

The ATP website said Struff became the third-oldest first-time champion, at 33 years and 11 months, since the tour was established in 1990.

Struff beat defending champion Holger Rune 6-2, 6-0 in the semifinals.

Fritz was playing his first tour-level final on clay. The American was looking for his second trophy of the season after winning at Delray Beach.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis