TENNIS | SHANGHAI MASTERS 1000
Sinner adds another nail to Djokovic’s glittering coffin
The Italian wins his 7th title of the season, his third Masters 1000, and leaves the Serbian without his 100th.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz seem determined to push Novak Djokovic into retirement, and with only Paris Bercy and the ATP Finals remaining, they could leave the Serbian nearly empty-handed this season. The generational shift, with Roger Federer already retired and Rafa Nadal nearing the end of his career, seems complete. On Sunday, in the final of Shanghai, the Italian once again shut the door on Djokovic, securing his seventh title of the year and his third Masters 1000 (fourth of his career) after victories in Miami and Cincinnati. No one has won as many Masters 1000 titles in a single year since Nadal in 2018 and it came in 1 hour and 37 minutes: 7-6 (4), 6-3.
What is Sinner-Djokovic head to head?
“It was a great match against Novak, one of the toughest challenges we have,” Sinner said afterwards. “I’m very happy with how I managed the situation. He served very well in the first set, and I couldn’t find a way to break him. Then I played a good tiebreak, which gave me confidence to start the second set strong.
“Obviously, I’m very happy with my performance throughout this tournament, which is very special.”
Sinner now ties his head-to-head with Djokovic (4-4) after three consecutive victories (four in their last five encounters), the second in a row without conceding a break to the Serbian, whom he also eliminated earlier this year in the semifinals of the Australian Open.
Sinner, the first player from his country to win the Shanghai title, ended Djokovic’s dominant streak in finals at the event (now 4-1) and became the first world number one to win here since Djokovic himself in 2015. At 23 years and one month, he is the youngest player to lift the trophy in Shanghai. As for Djokovic, he remains just short of his 100th career title and was unable to match Nadal’s record of wins in Masters tournaments, with Nadal still leading the historical list with 410.
Sinner and Djokovic exchange praise
”It’s hard to say the secret [to beating Djokovic], because he has no weaknesses,” Jannik continued after completing a near-flawless match, with just 17 unforced errors. “You have to try to use the few chances he gives you, which aren’t many during the match, and try to believe at all times… He’s a legend of our sport, and it’s very difficult to play against him. I’m very happy.”
He showed patience under the pressure of the 22-time Grand Slam winner in the first set, sealing it in the tiebreak. In the second set, Sinner was vastly superior, both technically and physically. With a break for 3-1, punctuated by an impressive down-the-line forehand, the player from San Candido took control and never looked back, capping off a great victory with an ace.
“Congratulations to Jannik, he was very good today, very strong, very fast. Well done. You’re having a great season and you deserve it,” said Djokovic about Sinner, who leads 2024 in wins (65, a personal record) and titles (seven). However, Sinner’s year has been somewhat overshadowed by the controversy surrounding his double positive test for clostebol, which the World Anti-Doping Agency claims was intentional, though he was acquitted in the first instance by the Tennis Integrity Agency. Regardless, his level of tennis has made him the best player of the season.
With the exception of Carlos Alcaraz, who shares the year’s Slam titles with Sinner, the Italian has shone. Alcaraz was a notable spectator at the Shanghai final, seated to the left of the legendary Roger Federer, the idol of the Big Three, now watching as a golden era draws to a close. Djokovic’s Olympic gold in Paris, in that final against Alcaraz, is the highlight that, for now, salvages what has otherwise been a subdued season for the Serbian star.