Novak Djokovic — debatably the greatest of all time in men’s tennis — continued his remarkable run by clinching his record 7th ATP Finals title in Turin, Italy, on Sunday.
The 36-year-old world No. 1 broke a tie with Roger Federer by defeating No. 4 Jannik Sinner in a 6-3, 6-3 victory that lasted 1 hour, 43 minutes, securing the championship just one day after a straight-sets win over No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals.
Djokovic previously held the title of the oldest winner at the event, having accomplished the feat last year at the age of 35.
“It’s one of the best seasons I’ve had in my life, no doubt,” Djokovic said at the completion of a 55-6 campaign. “To crown it with a win against a hometown hero in Jannik, who has played amazing tennis this week, is phenomenal. I’m very proud of the performances these past 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.”
“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 played different tactically than I did in the group stage against Jannik, and just overall it was a phenomenal week.”
Most Nitto ATP Finals Titles per the ATP
1) Novak Djokovic 7
2) Roger Federer 6
T3) Ivan Lendl 5
T3) Pete Sampras 5
5) Ilie Nastase 4
After securing his first victory in Turin, Djokovic was guaranteed to finish as the Year-End No. 1 for an unprecedented 8th time.
In winning the final match of the year, Djokovic sought retribution after the 22-year-old Italian had defeated him in Group Play earlier in the week in a grueling 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-6(2) match that lasted 3 hours, 9 minutes.
Djokovic’s prize money amounts to $2,201,000, while Sinner will take home $1,105,000.
Djokovic had an impressive 27-1 record this season in Grand Slam events and clinched his record-tying 24th major title at the U.S. Open, with his only loss coming in the Wimbledon final to Alcaraz.
Jessica Roberts serves up the latest in the world of tennis. With a love for the racket sport, she reports on tennis matches, player rankings, and Grand Slam events, ensuring readers stay informed about the tennis world.