Novak Djokovic reserved his best for the final weekend of the season – Davis Cup notwithstanding – beating two of the fearless young guns challenging his throne in consecutive days to successfully defend his ATP Finals trophy, making more history doing so. Jannik Sinner made fervent Turin supporters believe anything was possible during a whirlwind week, but couldn’t get over the line.
Djokovic avenges group stage loss when it matters most
Djokovic [1] bt. Sinner [4] 6-3, 6-3
- Djokovic served brilliantly (13 aces, no double-faults) and saved both break points he faced midway through set two with some big first serves on another day where the 24-time Major champion excelled, having produced some of his vintage best vs. Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday night
- Hometown hopeful Sinner, who beat the Serb after a deciding set tiebreak during their group stage thriller on Tuesday night, was worn out after logging four consecutive wins (Tsitsipas, Djokovic, Rune, Medvedev) in Turin but 22-year-old finishes runner-up after excellent end to 2023
- Djokovic describing the moment: “It’s very special, one of the best seasons in my life no doubt, to crown it with a win against a hometown hero in Jannik – who has played amazing tennis this week – very proud of the last two days, tactically different than the group stages, a phenomenal week.”
- Novak has now improved upon his own record from 2022 as the oldest singles champion in tournament history (36y, 6m) while surpassing old rival Roger Federer with record-breaking seventh year-end triumph
Having secured the year-end world no. 1 ranking for a record-extending eighth time after beating Holger Rune in his first round-robin match, Novak Djokovic had an anxious wait to see whether he’d make it out of the group stages altogether after losing a tight three-set battle against Jannik Sinner two days later. Time flies.
Despite that aforementioned narrow loss Rune had opportunities to sneak beyond the Serb into the weekend’s final four given permutations elsewhere, but Sinner fought back from break point down on his service game at *3-4 in the final set to overwhelm the Dane and win three successive games, staying unbeaten.
Sunday: Sinner bt. Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4
Thursday: Sinner bt. Rune 6-2, 5-7, 6-4
2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev could’ve easily run away with their semifinal after levelling the score at a set apiece on Saturday but alas, quickly found himself behind the eight ball and fended off two break points to no avail.
Saturday’s semifinal: Sinner bt. Medvedev 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-1
Much has been said about Sinner’s game over the past 12 months, not all of it positive, given the lofty expectations for a player who turned 22 in August.
He’s lost three five-set matches in Grand Slam tournaments this year – two against competitors in the elite eight, and a Daniel Altmaier defeat in Paris which threatened to sting for a while as questions over his mettle and durability surfaced.
Couple that with lacking success with regards to big-game experience and you see a pattern emerging. Only, he and his team didn’t allow that to cloud his approach during the final months of the campaign where consistency wasn’t common.
A first-time Wimbledon semifinalist, maiden Masters 1000 champion (Toronto) alongside hard-court titles in Beijing and Vienna at ATP 500 level in four months might not seem impressive until you see the list of names he toppled to win both.
The variety behind his serve, ability to mix up his groundstrokes coupled with excellent touch across multiple angles – at the net or during rallies – make him compelling to watch and even easier to enjoy for neutrals.
It’s how he was able to outlast Djokovic in the week, the Serb’s passivity at times only serving to embolden a youngster who couldn’t miss with the drop shot and his forehand was firing on all cylinders. Here though, the final was completely different.
Djokovic gave a glimpse of what it’d be like little under 24 hours prior, being overly aggressive and peppering the baseline with long rally exchanges to keep Alcaraz uncomfortable as the Wimbledon champion‘s forehand deserted him.
Sinner, for all his court coverage and the benefit of youth on side, found himself constantly dragged from side-to-side and manipulated into mistakes by a world no. 1 who consciously wanted to make a statement.
“They [Alcaraz and Sinner] are probably the world’s best two in the world next to me and Medvedev… the way they’ve been playing, I’ve had to step it up and not wait for them to hand me victory.
On his two children watching courtside: “It’s a thrill, I always wanted to perform in-front of them once they’d reached the age they’re aware of what’s going on… so grateful to be a father of two angels, they give me strength.”
He can beat you a myriad of ways: lulling you into a false sense of security and waiting for mistakes or openings the more common weapon as his game has matured with time. While undeniably effective, it doesn’t always do the trick.
A chance Sinner couldn’t seize
This felt different and began with his serve, so good here the Turin fans cheered – relieved the tide could start to turn for their man – as it tailed off midway through set two as his level cooled off and Sinner had a half-chance to restore parity.
In a few games previously, Djokovic had opportunities to make this a straightforward win but a twist felt likely and you would never have guessed judging by the scoreline.
He couldn’t believe his eyes after missing a forehand passing shot that would’ve given him a double break lead, while two makeable volleys went astray as you could sense the 24-time Major champion getting tight with pressure building. Sinner was too, both in his legs and with decision-making not razor-sharp as five days prior.
Slower with his movement, missing some first serves and enduring some painful errors just as Djokovic’s level dipped slightly, he couldn’t capitalise during a high-quality final where he played far too many points on serve (74, Djokovic had 46).
Double-faulting, match point down, felt a cruel way to end an unforgettable week for a player who – much like Alcaraz and others – will take heart from an experience they won’t want to feel much more of, no matter how good the reigning champion is.
We still have the Davis Cup so who knows, he said in his runners-up speech afterwards. The grind to improve and get incrementally better never stops.
Davis Cup Finals knockout stages
Quarterfinals
Nov. 21: Canada vs. Finland
Nov. 22: Czech Republic vs. Australia
Nov. 23
Italy vs. Netherlands and Serbia vs. Great Britain
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes via Prime Video
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