In the Shanghai Masters final, Jannik Sinner postpones Novak Djokovic's acquisition of his 100th career title by securing a win.
The Italian, who clinched the year-end world No. 1 spot with his semi-final victory over Tomas Machac, outplayed Djokovic 7-6 (4) 6-3 in the final. With this win, he added the fourth Masters 1000 title of his career and his third of 2024.
Djokovic was aiming to join the elite club of three men, including Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer, with 100 Tour-level titles, but he lacked the firepower to break Sinner's unyielding serve. The Italian went through the match without facing a single break point.
Sinner's seven titles in a single season is the most since Andy Murray's astonishing nine titles in 2016, as per ATP statistics.
Post-match, Sinner acknowledged the challenge of facing Djokovic, stating, "It was a tough contest, obviously. Playing against Novak is one of the toughest challenges we face. I'm satisfied with how I handled the situation."
Djokovic was serving superbly in the first set, but Sinner couldn't find a chink in his armour. He turned the tide with an impressive showing in the tie-break, which boosted his confidence for the second set.
Sinner praised Djokovic, saying, "He's got no weaknesses. You have to make the most of the small opportunities he offers, but they're scarce during the match. He's a legend of our sport, he's hard to beat."
Sinner's triumph levelled their head-to-head record at 4-4 and made him the first player since Rafael Nadal in 2013 to beat Djokovic three consecutive times, according to tennis.com.
Djokovic, who had an unbeaten record in Shanghai Masters finals (4-0), suffered his first loss in the final of this tournament. Injury concerns hampered him in both the quarterfinals and semifinals, but he showed no signs of discomfort against Sinner.
During his post-match interview, Djokovic joked about the additional pressure of Roger Federer's presence in the crowd, who was welcomed with thunderous applause, stating, "I had an extra layer of pressure."
Sinner's victory in the final solidified his position as one of the top tennis players, proving his skills and love for the sport. Despite Djokovic's impressive serving in the first set, Sinner demonstrated his ability to excel in tennis, particularly in high-pressure situations.
