World number one Jannik Sinner made tennis history Sunday, becoming the first Italian to win the ATP Finals with a commanding 6-4, 6-4 victory over American Taylor Fritz, completing an undefeated tournament run without dropping a set.
The 23-year-old home favorite, who lost last year’s final to Novak Djokovic, dominated throughout the 85-minute match, securing the largest prize money award in tennis history at $4,881,500. His performance matched a feat not seen since Ivan Lendl in 1986, becoming the first player to win the ATP Finals without losing a set.
“It’s amazing. Just an amazing week. For me, it’s a first title in Italy, so it means so much to me. I’m very happy about that, it’s very special,” Sinner said on court after securing his 70th win of the season.
Sinner broke Fritz’s serve with a precise drop shot to take a 4-3 lead in the first set, which he claimed with his tenth ace. The Italian maintained momentum in the second set when Fritz, the first American finalist since James Blake in 2006, sent a crucial forehand long.
The victory caps a remarkable season for Sinner, who has won 26 of his last 27 matches and claimed a tour-leading eight titles. Fritz, despite the loss, will reach a career-high world ranking of fourth when the new standings are released Monday.
“I just want to say congrats to Jannik and his team. Insane year, honestly. It’s really impressive,” said Fritz, 27, acknowledging his opponent’s achievement.
In the doubles final, Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz became the first German pair to win the tournament, defeating Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic in two tiebreakers, 7-6(5), 7-6(6).
