World No. 1 Jannik Sinner beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets Sunday to win the Shanghai Masters.
Sinner moved 4-0 up in the first-set tiebreak before staving off a surge from Djokovic to take the set, and the Italian needed just one break of serve in the second to better the 24-time Grand Slam champion 7-6(4), 6-3 for his his seventh title of 2024.
The 23-year-old becomes the first man to win more than six titles in a calendar year since 2016, when Andy Murray won nine.
Sinner hit eight aces and 22 winners and never faced a break point during the one-hour and 37-minute triumph over Djokovic, who was looking to win a record-extending fifth Shanghai title.
The 37-year-old Serbian was also aiming for his 100th ATP Tour title, a milestone which only Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) have reached in men’s tennis.
“It was a very tough match, obviously, playing against Novak is one of the toughest challenges we have,” said Sinner during the post-game trophy presentation.
“I’m very happy with how I handled the situation. He was serving great the first set, I couldn’t find a way to break him. I played a really good tiebreak which gave me confidence to start off well in the second set.
“It’s tough to tell you a secret about [Djokovic] because he doesn’t have any weaknesses.
“You have to try and use the small chances that he gives you, but there are not many during the match. He is a legend of our sport, he’s very tough to play against, so I am very happy.”
Sinner was last week guaranteed to finish the year as the top-ranked men’s tennis player after nearest rival Carlos Alcaraz’s defeat by Tomas Machac in the quarterfinals in Shanghai.
This was Sinner’s first tournament win since the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced it would be appealing against a decision to clear Sinner of responsibility for his two positive tests for a banned substance earlier in 2024.
GO DEEPER
Jannik Sinner’s doping case explained: What WADA appeal means and what is at stake for tennis
(Lintao Zhang / Getty Images)
Are you ready for it? Serena Williams and her girls sure are. On Tuesday, Oct. 22, the retired tennis pro, 43, shared a few sweet snaps to her Instagram wit
Fifteen-year-old British hopeful Mika Stojsavljevic was denied a first-ever WTA win as she lost a thrilling match against Moyuka
PARIS, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 05: Winner Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses for a photo with the trophy after ... [+] winning the Men's Singles final against Grigor Dimi
Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima reached the second round of the WTA Toray Pan Pacific Open by edging out wildcard Mika Stojsavljevic 6-4, 6-7 (7), 7-