Djokovic claims record-breaking seventh ATP Finals crown

Turin, Nov 20 (IANS) Novak Djokovic delivered a masterclass to defeat home favourite Jannik Sinner to clinch his record-breaking seventh ATP Finals title.

The Serbian was at his very best in a 6-3, 6-3 win against the Italian on Sunday night, losing just two points in his first seven service games to surge ahead and then expertly navigating a tense close to the one-hour, 43-minute match, ATP reports.

The World No. 1 has broken a tie with the Swiss for most titles at the ATP Finals and now stands alone with a record seven crowns at the season finale.

Djokovic was beaten by Sinner in the group stage but turned that result around in the final — a feat he also accomplished against Roger Federer at the 2015 season finale.

“It’s one of the best seasons I’ve had in my life, no doubt. To crown it with a win against a hometown hero in Jannik, who has played amazing tennis this week, is phenomenal. I’m very proud of the performances these past two days against Alcaraz and Sinner, probably the best two players in the world next to me and Medvedev at the moment — and the way they have been playing, I had to step it up," said Djokovic after his win.

By handing Sinner his first defeat this year in Turin, Djokovic improved to 4-1 in the pair's ATP Head-to-Head. The 22-year-old was the first Italian to reach the ATP Finals title match but was denied in his bid to become the youngest year-end champion since Stefanos Tsitsipas (21) in 2019.

Djokovic is now 7-2 in the ATP Finals title round, with trophies in 2008, 2010-11, 2014-15 and 2022-23. His reward for his latest triumph will be a record-extending 400th week atop the ATP Rankings beginning on Monday.

Earlier in the tournament, Djokovic extended another precious record by clinching his ATP Year-End No.