Jannik Sinner is not a robot, but he played the ATP finals as if programmed to win. The shot-making was pretty close to digitally enhanced perfection for most of the week in Turin. “At times, I couldn’t play better so I’m very happy,” the champion said immediately after defeating Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday evening.

It didn’t matter that Fritz had beaten the supposed man in form, Alexander Zverev, in the semi-finals. Sinner was a step ladder ahead of the field all week and most of 2024 too. His victory was in front of an adoring crowd who roared: “Ole Ole Ole Ole Sinner, Sinner” before their man served it out. The good news for the local populace is the ATP Finals will stay in the country until 2030.

A little help from friends always helps. A handy winner’s check of $.4.74 million is a nice bonus too. There’s still the Davis Cup Finals to round off the patriotic sensibility.

Casper Ruud felt the full force of the Italian’s skills when he won just three games in the semi-final. Ruud or Fritz were never designed to be the ultimate opponent for this seismic version of Sinner, but there is only one outstanding candidate for the best player in the world right now. With Novak Djokovic picking and choosing majors over routine events, the airways are clear for the Next Gen graduate to dominate the game alongside Carlos Alcaraz.

While the Spaniard vacillates between dips and waves of brilliance, Sinner has religiously fixated to his regime in the manner of a Pete Sampras-style machine-like efficiency. “Beating Sinner today is more difficult than beating Sampras when I was playing,” said former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek.

The form book of the last three months would certainly back that assertion. Alcaraz defeated Sinner in a deciding tiebreaker in the China Open after a superb match, but the latter made up for that by popping on the same flight as his rival to Shanghai and winning there instead. Italy’s most famous tennis export absolutely sped to the checkered flag, winning the last 18 sets of the season, capturing eight titles- including two majors – and holding a 70-6 record.

There has been no downturn in form since the events that changed the dial on doping within the tennis circuit. In the week leading up to the U.S. Open, Sinner’s personal serenity was catapulted into the public park for a kickabout when it was revealed that he had twice tested positive for the banned substance clostobel. His team argued that this was through contamination by his physiotherapist. An independent tribunal agreed.

Life is rarely that simple when the sniff of a banned steroid involves the best player in the world. There was the simmering resentment of other players who think they were treated more harshly. Access to top lawyers and a certain level of immunity for the hitherto clean-cut 23-year-old was a bad look for the game.

Practically speaking, Sinner is not out of the woods as WADA, The World-Anti Doping Agency, stated in September that the tribunal’s original decision was “not correct under the applicable rules” and is pushing for a ban of up to two years. This is serious stuff. There’s an air of unreality about it because of the way Sinner is carrying himself. The world isn’t weighing heavy on his shoulders.

Sinner’s mental strength to win at Flushing Meadows when the chatter was high volume is something to admire. He immediately fired his physio and fitness trainer involved in the original chain of events to start afresh and make a clean break. The Australian Open champion has always maintained that he has done nothing wrong. On the (tennis) surface, his mindset is impenetrable. The Court of Arbitration for Sport will make a decision and the pot of allegations will stir the airwaves again.

For now, Sinner is a man who has disarmed his opponents on the court and done little or nothing to add to the clouds over his immediate future. He charms with his accessibility and respect to all involved in the game, even dedicating a tribute to retiring umpire Carlos Bernandes in Turin.

2024 was the breakthrough year for Jannik Sinner. 2025 might knock him off the pedestal for reasons outside his control. “I love to play at home,” he said after beating Alex de Minaur at the start of the week. The tennis world waits to see if he can travel the circuit freely to continue the conquest.