Jannik Sinner won his seventh title of 2024 with a dominant performance against Novak Djokovic in the final of the Rolex Shanghai Masters.
The Italian, who is already guaranteed to end the season ranked world number one, looked in hot form with a 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 win over the 24-time Grand Slam champion. He is the first man to win six or more titles in a year since 2016, when Andy Murray won nine.
While his victory prevented Djokovic from winning his 100th career title, this week was a reminder that the 37-year-old remains a vital factor at the top of the game.
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Sinner cited winning the Shanghai Masters against Djokovic as one of his ‘toughest challenges’.
“It was a very tough match. Obviously the match against Novak was one of the toughest challenges we’ve ever had,” said Sinner, who has won four of his last five fights against Djokovic.
“I’m very happy with the way I handled the situation. He served great in the first set but I couldn’t find a way to break him. I had a really good tie-break, which gave me confidence that I can start well in this set. Got the second set.
“It’s hard to tell secrets because (Djokovic) has no weaknesses. You have to take advantage of the little opportunities he gives you, but there aren’t many during the game. He’s a legend for us.” “Sports, I’m very happy because he’s a very difficult player to play against.”
Djokovic was denied by an imperious serve from Sinner, who won 81% (21/26) of the points before his first delivery in a brilliant first set that went into a tiebreak.
Sinner got off to the better start as Djokovic’s missed backhand volley proved costly.
With relentless pressure from his opponents, the top seed ultimately built an unassailable 4-1 lead early in the second set and cruised to a straight sets victory in one hour and 37 minutes as he recorded his 65th win. A remarkable season.
Djokovic was seeking his fifth title in Shanghai and said he was “delighted to be here once again.”
“I’ve had a lot of success on Chinese soil and I’ve missed it because I haven’t played in China for five years and I’m really happy to be here this year.
“I think I played some really good tennis. Obviously congratulations to Jannik. He was so good today, so strong, so fast. Well done for an amazing year, you deserve it.”
Roger Federer, Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero watched from the stands and addressed Federer, with Djokovic saying “Good to see you Roger. I’m not used to seeing you in the stands. I wish you were on the court playing.” “he added. Join us.
“It’s probably the first time I’ve played in front of you, so there’s a lot of pressure today, but it’s really good. Thank you for being here, and the same goes for Carlos.”
What will happen to Sky Sports Tennis in October?
- Shanghai Masters – ATP 1000 (October 2-13)
- Wuhan Open – WTA 1000 (October 6-12)
- Almaty Open, Kazakhstan – ATP 250 (October 14-20)
- Stockholm Open, Sweden – ATP 250 (October 14-20)
- European Open, Antwerp – ATP 250 (14-20 October)
- Japan Open, Osaka – WTA 250 (October 14-20)
- Ningbo Open, China – WTA 500 (October 14-20)
- Erste Bank Open, Vienna – ATP 500 (21-27 October)
- Swiss Indoor, Basel – ATP 500 (October 21-27)
- Guangzhou Open, China – WTA 250 (October 21-27)
- Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis, Tokyo – WTA 500 (October 21-27)
Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app. This will give Sky Sports customers access to over 50% more live sport at no extra cost this year. Find out more here.
