On Sunday, November 19, the final match of the Final Championship ended the tennis season at the ATP level. The participants in the decisive match of the tournament in Turin (Italy) were the favorite of the local public, Jannik Sinner, who had the fourth seed, and the 24-time winner of Grand Slam tournaments, the Serbian Novak Djokovic (1). Sinner stopped Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals, defeating the Russian in three sets: 6-3, 6-7, 6-1. Medvedev’s campaign for a second title in the final (Daniil already won this tournament in 2020) ended in failure. Djokovic easily beat Carlos Alcaraz without giving up a game: 6-3, 6-2.
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This was the second time Sinner and Djokovic met in this tournament. This is only possible in the finals, where there is a group stage, unless, of course, one takes into account the rare cases when a qualifier faces a lucky loser in a tournament held according to the usual Olympic system. Sinner won all three matches in the green group and could not beat Djokovic in two sets: 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-2).
And this was the first victory of an Italian over a Serbian. In the previous three fights, Novak consistently defeated Yannick. They met for the first time at the Monte Carlo Clay Masters in 2021, then Djokovic won a super strong victory in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon 2022, and a year later she defeated his opponent in the same tournament, only in the semifinals .
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Before the final, Djokovic spoke about what he expected from the new confrontation with Sinner. “He plays fantastic tennis. This may be the best tennis of his life, against the top 10 players at this point. We played a very even game [в группе]. The atmosphere was incredible, clearly electric. I expect nothing less. It will probably be even louder than in the group stage match.
The final is ahead. I have found myself in this situation many times before. I’m happy with how I feel and how I’m playing. I hope to be able to show my game,” the Serbian said on Twitter Tennis Letter.
Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner after their group stage match at the 2023 ATP Finals Tournament in Turin
Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Sinner urged people not to pay attention to the fact that he defeated Djokovic in the group. “It doesn’t matter what games were before, how they were. Especially in this format. You can win against one and then lose. These are different things. But I’m still happy to be able to get back on the pitch here in Turin. Good atmosphere. I hope to be able to show good tennis,” the ATP press service quotes him.
Historical statistics do not favor Yannick. It could not be otherwise. The 22-year-old Italian played in his second Final. In 2021 he did not leave the group. Djokovic, who turned 36 this spring, has competed in every final since 2007 except one, in 2017. This final was the Serb’s ninth, having won six of the previous eight. Roger Federer, Novak’s eternal rival, has the same number of titles.
Jannik Sinner at the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin
Photo: Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images
The first set was dictated by Djokovic. The Serbian already in the first game made it clear that it would not be easy to fight Sinner (and who can easily fight the 24-time TBS champion?). Novak took his game to zero, serving twice. And in the fourth game he gained a decisive advantage, taking advantage of the first break point for 3:1. The Italian led in this game 40:15, but started making mistakes and lost everything. Although with “exactly” the judges made a mistake with one out: Yannick reached the line, but did not take a repeat.
This was the only break point for two in the entire match. Serving for the set at 5-3, Djokovic did not lose a single point: 6-3 in 39 minutes. Novak committed only two unforced errors, while his opponent committed as many as 13.
Novak Djokovic in the final with Jannik Sinner at the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin
Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Djokovic started the second game at least no worse than the first, with a break to love. After that, there was no longer any need to talk about real possibilities for Sinner. The second game was also for the Serbian, who again did not give a single point to his rival, this time with his own serve. Then the score was 2:0.
In the third game, Yannick, serving, was able to stop Novak’s streak, who taking into account the end of the first set won 14 points in a row. Sinner, at the cost of considerable effort, took this game, fighting off three break points. But overall this did not help him. Djokovic served wonderfully (especially in the scoreless fourth game, in which he managed to hit three aces), despite the periodic noise from the stands at those times. In the sixth game, however, Novak almost suffered a slight break, but was saved from a double break point (4:2).
In the long seventh game, which lasted 15 minutes, Sinner, while serving, missed several game points, but after recovering two hidden match points, he still held serve. But he failed to win the game on the return, although in the eighth game it was 0:30 on Djokovic’s serve. And in the ninth game, the Serbian got a match point on a reception and immediately took advantage of it (Sinner committed a double fault, the only one in the match for two!) – 6:3, 6:3 in 1 hour 44 minutes . Novak also surpassed Yannick in aces: 13 to eight.
This is how Djokovic won his seventh title of the season and the 98th of his career. Furthermore, this is his seventh trophy in the Final, including his second in a row. A year ago he repeated the achievement of Roger Federer (6), and now it turns out that he has surpassed him in this indicator. For this tournament, Novak won $4 million 411.5 thousand in prize money and Sinner won $2 million 600.5 thousand.
Let us remember that the Russians also participated in the 2023 final. Daniil Medvedev fell in the semifinals against Sinner, and Andrei Rublev did not leave the group with three losses in three games.
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And today it became known that the ATP Final Tournament will remain in Turin at least until the 2027 season inclusive; The contract, valid until 2025 inclusive, was extended by the parties, mutually satisfied, for another two years. The event takes place in Italy starting with the 2021 season, and the previous 12 editions were held in London (United Kingdom).
* * * The tennis season at the ATP level has ended. And next week the final part of the Davis Cup will be played in Malaga (Spain). The quarterfinals begin on Tuesday, November 21 and the final is scheduled for Sunday, November 26.
