Jannik Sinner took the ATP throne from Novak Djokovic
Jannik Sinner is spending his first week as world no. 1, becoming the 29th player on the ATP throne since 1973! The 22-year-old Italian has been the most consistent player in the previous 12 months, dethroning Novak Djokovic after Roland Garros and starting his reign as the world’s best player.
Jannik raised his level following an early Roland Garros defeat last year, reaching the Wimbledon semi-final and setting his eyes on the rivals in front of him. The Italian is 33-3 in 2024, leading the ATP Race and becoming a well-deserved world no.
1. Sinner stands above Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic and will seek more notable results in Halle and Wimbledon. Sinner reached the Roland Garros semi-final last week, building two advantages against Carlos Alcaraz before falling in five sets, suffering his first loss at Majors this year.
Novak Djokovic failed to defend the crown in Paris, allowing Jannik to pass him and write history.
The Italian is only the seventh player on the ATP throne since February 2004, joining names like Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
Sinner kicked off the 2023 season as world no. 15, cracking the top-10 after reaching the Miami Masters final and finishing with four ATP titles and the Davis Cup trophy. Jannik lost the Wimbledon semi-final to Novak Djokovic after a decent effort and conquered a Masters 1000 trophy at the Canada Masters.
The Italian fell to Alexander Zverev in the US Open fourth round after a five-setter and embraced a tremendous season-ending streak. Sinner and Djokovic were the players to beat in the remaining events, with the Italian embracing a 20-2 run and making himself a contender for the ATP throne.
Jannik won titles in Beijing and Vienna and entered the home ATP Finals event in Turin as one of the favorites.
Jannik Sinner is the new ruler of the men’s tennis.
In one of the most important matches in his career, Sinner overpowered Djokovic for the first time in the round-robin stage, beating world no.
1 7-5, 6-7, 7-6 in three hours and eight minutes. It was a tight match on the fast indoor court, with only three breaks and numerous service winners. The home star broke world no. 1 from 0-40 in the 11th game of the opener and held at love in the next one for 7-5.
The second set provided no break chances, and Djokovic clinched the tie break to extend the battle. Sinner secured a break in the sixth game of the final set, and Djokovic pulled it back in the next one. They arranged another tie break, and Jannik grabbed it 7-2 for his first victory over Novak.
The Italian reached the title clash but could not produce another win over the Serb, with Djokovic notching a 6-3, 6-3 triumph and leaving Sinner empty-handed. Two rivals met again six days later when Italy and Serbia battled for a place in the Davis Cup final.
Jannik repelled three match points in a 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 victory, keeping his country alive and earning another notable win that raised his boost ahead of 2024.
The Italian traveled to Melbourne as one of the Australian Open favorites and proved that on the court, lifting his first Major crown! Jannik gathered a boost in the opening rounds and set the semi-final clash against the defending champion, Novak Djokovic.
Sinner outplayed Djokovic in four sets, playing rock-solid tennis and leaving the ten-time champion far behind! Jannik fought for his first Major title against Daniil Medvedev, producing an incredible turnaround from two sets to love down.
The Italian prevailed in a five-setter, lifting his first Major trophy at 22. Jannik returned to action a couple of weeks later in Rotterdam, winning his third ATP 500 crown with a win over Alex de Minaur. Sinner competed in Indian Wells as world no.
3 and fell to Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-final, experiencing his first loss in 2024.
The Italian bounced back in Miami, lifting his second notable title of the season and becoming world no.
2 and Djokovic’s closest rival. Jannik blew the advantage against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Monte Carlo semi-final and withdrew ahead of the Madrid Masters quarter-final due to a hip issue. Jannik skipped the home Rome Masters to recover and heal his injured hip, focusing on Roland Garros.
The Italian defeated five rivals and advanced into his first semi-final in Paris, setting a blockbuster duel versus Carlos Alcaraz. Already taking the ATP throne from Djokovic, Sinner pursued his second consecutive Major final.
However, Alcaraz prevailed 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in four hours and nine minutes, raising his level after the third set and delivering Sinner’s first Major loss of the season.
The Italian clinched two points more than the Spaniard but could not bring the victory home, feeling the pain around his troubled hip and cramps in his left hand. Carlos was a more aggressive player, struggling a bit physically but overcoming all the challenges in a notable win.
They grabbed six breaks each, and Alcaraz produced more reliable serving in the pivotal moments, finishing the duel with 11 consecutive holds without facing a break point! Jannik will stay away from the court in his first week as world no. 1 before returning to action at the ATP 500 event in Halle.
