By Tony Fairbairn
- Jannik Sinner [1] def Taylor Fritz [5] 6-4 6-4
- Jannik Sinner is still looking to improve after becoming the first Italian in history to win the Nitto ATP Finals.
TURIN, ITALY – Jannik Sinner wants to improve his game further despite becoming the first Italian to win the Nitto ATP Finals with a straight sets win over Taylor Fritz.
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Jannik Sinner [1] def Taylor Fritz [5] 6-4 6-4
World number one Jannik Sinner is the Nitto ATP Finals champion after a straight sets win over Taylor Fritz. It was exactly the same scoreline as their round robin match with Sinner becoming the first Italian to win the ATP Finals and also became the first player since 1986 to win the title while not dropping a set.
Just like their group stage match, Fritz made an impressive start to the match as he was aggressive from the baseline and hit some clutch serves in crucial moments. The atmosphere was more electric in this match though with the home crowd doing everything they could to ensure Italian tennis history would happen. Sinner had no problems in doing his part in the contest as he only dropped one point on serve in his opening three service games, continuing his impressive efficiency.
As expected in the seventh game Sinner went on the attack producing some incredible tennis on the forehand side as he exposed Fritz’s poor movement. The world number one created four break points and converted the fourth opportunity with a well executed drop shot winner securing the break.
Although it was a crucial moment in the match, the set wasn’t over yet as Sinner got tight in the big moments with Fritz unloading on the backhand side. The American number one managed to create break point when Sinner served for the set but the Italian fended off Fritz with a powerful first serve. Eventually the world number one secured the opening set with an ace as he was one set away from history.
In the second set both players continued to be efficient but just like their group stage match, Fritz failed to be proactive on big moments on return. The world number one took his game to the next level and the persistent power and pressure paid off in the fifth game. On his second break point, Sinner broke for a 3-2 lead after Fritz sent a forehand long and now the match wad firmly in the Italian’s grasp.
Once again the match wasn’t finished yet as Fritz put pressure on the Italian’s serve in the eighth game but the threat was fended off with some aggressive play at the net. Despite a comfortable service game from Fritz, there was no stopping Sinner as he comfortably closed out the match to claim his maiden Nitto ATP Finals title.
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Sinner praises ‘amazing’ ATP Finals win but seeks improvement
An incredible tournament for Sinner as he claimed his first title on home soil and won his maiden Nitto ATP Finals title.
The world number one created Italian tennis history in front of his home crowd becoming the first from his country to win the event.
After the match Sinner described the title as ‘amazing,’ soaking in the moment in front of his friends and family.
“It’s amazing, it’s my first title in Italy and it means so much to me,” Sinner told the ATP website.
“It’s something very special. I just tried to understand what works best for each opponent, trying to play my best possible tennis. That was the key. It was a very high level tournament from my side. At times, I couldn’t have played better, so I am very happy.”
It’s Sinner’s eighth title of the season in what has been an incredible year for the Italian on the court.
The Australian Open and US Open champion has clearly proven he is the best player on the planet right now and that was backed up this week as he didn’t drop a set in Turin.
However Sinner has continued to adopt an elite mentality and he insists that he can improve even further.
“I actually believe there is still a gap of improvement,” Sinner revealed to the ATP website.
“Today I served very, very good at times, which was not the case throughout the whole tournament. There are still certain shots and points that I can do better, but [these] are small details. The higher you play level-wise, the more details make the difference. I’m always trying to improve as a player and trying to understand what I can do better.
“My goal was to understand what I can achieve this year. There was no specific goal of winning a Grand Slam or being No. 1 or whatever. It’s going to be the same next year: Whatever we can catch, we take, and the rest we learn.
“I think that was the mentality we approached this whole year [with] trying to raise my level in specific moments, which I’ve done throughout this year.”
Now Sinner will spend time with his loved ones as he reflects on an incredible year before trying to replicate his incredible season next year.
The Italian in 2025 is determined to not change a winning formula as he wants to continue to be calm as he searches for more glory.
“I [will approach it] in the same way I did this year: Keeping calm, having my connection with my team,” Sinner explained to the ATP website.
“Taking it seriously, but also relaxed. You need to have a good balance. There are going to be many, many first times in our life. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Grand Slam or something else, you just have to be yourself as a player in this case and trying to understand if it works or not.”
Fritz feels a sense of belonging in tennis’s elite
Despite a crushing defeat in the final, it has been an incredible tournament for Fritz who reached his first final at the Nitto ATP Finals.
The American has once again proved that he is one of the most consistent players on the tour as he will end the season in the world’s top five.
After an incredible week Fritz believes he belongs amongst tennis’ elite and has momentum heading into next year.
“It’s been a really good week for me. Obviously, it’s a good way to end the year. It gives me a lot of confidence finishing the season like this,” Fritz told the ATP website.
“Something I told my team in 2023 when I hit World No. 5 for a week right before I was defending the Indian Wells title, was ‘That’s crazy, I’m five the world, look at all these guys ranked behind me that are probably better than me’.
“Back then I was five, but I didn’t feel like I was five. Now I’m ranked where I’m at. I feel like I belong. It’s a different feeling. It’s been a great year. That gives me a lot of confidence to have that belief. That’s a huge part of having the big results. The goals I set for myself at the start of the year was to finish Top 5.”
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