Jannik Sinner rounds off an excellent year on tour following victory over the spirited Taylor Fritz, who two has enjoyed an incredibly successful year.
It wasn’t long ago that Jannik Sinner and Taylor Fritz were locking horns in the final of the US Open. That match saw Sinner claim the title at Flushing Meadows in straight sets, and unfortunately for Fritz and the American fans, it was repeat rather than revenge at the year-end finals in Turin.
Fritz put up a spirited performance, but Sinner’s game was always likely to be too big for Fritz, especially given the Italian’s recent form (26 wins from 27 matches!).
In front of his home fans, the incredibly boisterous Orange Army, Sinner put on an absolute clinic of hard-court dominance, not just against Fritz but throughout the whole week. The final score read 6-4, 6-4, capping off an unbelievable week for Sinner, who became the first Italian man to win the year-end title and the first man since Ivan Lendl in 1986 to win the title without dropping a set.
Sinner is undoubtedly the man to beat at the moment, especially on hardcourts, where his ruthlessly powerful and accurate hitting is some of the best we’ve ever seen on tour.
Perhaps most impressive this week has been Sinner’s serving, which hasn’t always been his strong suit, but throughout the tournament and against Fritz in particular, his serve was lethally accurate.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Jim Courier was particularly impressed, stating:
“Everyone else was just cannon fodder for what Sinner was bringing this week. And when his serve was as accurate as Andy [Roddick's], that was bananas, to see how many of his serves were within one foot of the line. Half of them—that’s impossible to stop. The guy served over 70% first serves in play; obviously, he is going to win if he’s playing like that.”
Victory for Sinner not only brought an eighth title, it also landed the Italian £3.9m the highest prize money on the ATP tour.
Sinner will now undoubtedly finish the year as the world number one, having built up an astonishing lead, and will have his sights set on more glory in 2025.
If he can stay out of trouble with WADA in the courts, then there is no reason why this form cannot continue into the new year. In reality, what the world wants more than anything is for Carlos Alcaraz to stay fit for an entire season so that the pair can finally meet in a Grand Slam final.
Either way, the future looks bright, and I have little doubt that 2025 will continue to be sinsational.
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