Looking for Tennis and Racket Sports International News?

 Novak Djokovic defeated three of the ATP Tour's brightest young stars to win the Nitto ATP Finals title, downing Holger Rune in the group stage before dismissing Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in the knockout rounds. Asked how the presence of such talented young challengers impacts his motivation, the Serbian's answer was as ruthless as his performance on the court.

"When they play me, I want them to feel that it's going to require the best tennis from them in order to win against me," he said. "That's what I want my opponents to feel, no doubt, because that helps mentally coming into the match.

"I think the more I win on the biggest stage, the more this kind of aura grows, and I'm glad for it, no doubt. Of course, that's not going to win you the match, but it might give you the little percentage, the little edge."

Djokovic was effusive in his praise for Sinner, Alcaraz and Rune, calling them "the next big three" who will "carry the sport" into the future. But for now, the Serbian is firmly established atop the Pepperstone ATP Rankings as the game's leading man.

"I will hang on for as long as I feel like hanging on," he said. "As long as I'm able to win against them on the big stage, I'll still keep going — because why stop if you're still winning the biggest titles? Once they start to kick my butt, then I will consider probably having a little break or maybe a permanent break from professional tennis."

But even after such a brilliant season — Djokovic has won seven titles this year, including three Grand Slams — the Serbian is hungry for more. On Monday, he will enjoy his 400th week as World No. 1, having secured ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by Pepperstone honours for a record-extending eighth time. Since Roland Garros, Djokovic is 35-2.

Play to win.

Novak Djokovic defeated Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-3 in the Nitto ATP Finals title match on Sunday by updating his game plan and mentality.

“I had to step it up,” Djokovic said post-match when talking about his dominant victories in the semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz and final against Sinner. “I had to win the matches and not wait for them to hand me the victory. I think I have tactically played different today than I have in the group stage against Jannik,” Djokovic said.

So what did Djokovic do differently? He stopped grinding with his backhand and let his forehand be the star of the show from the back of the court. Djokovic hit more backhands than forehands against Sinner in the group stage, but that flipped in the final, where his forehand punched a hole right through Sinner’s potent baseline game.

Djokovic Groundstrokes (excluding returns, volleys & overheads)
• Forehands = 101 (3 winners/11 errors/extracted 22 errors from Sinner)
• Backhands = 76 (1 winner/8 errors/extracted 10 errors from Sinner)

Novak Djokovic’s fate in the Nitto ATP Finals was out of his hands when Holger Rune played Jannik Sinner in the final Green Group match. Had Rune won, the Dane would have made the semi-finals and Djokovic would have been eliminated. When Sinner won that match in three sets, Djokovic’s coach, Goran Ivanisevic, had full confidence in his charge.

“I have to thank Jannik a little bit that he gave us a little help and push for him to be in the semi-finals. But I knew as soon as he got into the semi-final, he's going to win the tournament,” Ivanisevic said. “The mentality changed. The new Novak Djokovic arrived on the court from Saturday. When real Novak Djokovic arrives on the court, then [in that] moment [there] is nobody that can play with him.”

Djokovic went 2-1 in round-robin play and needed three sets in all three of his matches. But facing World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals and the player who defeated him in group play, Sinner, for the title, the Serbian found a new gear.

The 36-year-old did not lose more than three games in a set against either man en route to his record seventh Nitto ATP Finals title. Ivanisevic knew right away his mentality had shifted.

“I can see in his eyes, in his approach when he comes to the small locker room, when he comes to the practice court. Warm-up was different. Warm-up was positive. When he entered the court against Alcaraz the first time this week, he was from the first point pumping himself [up], pumping his fist. He was very positive in a way,” Ivanisevic said. “Even if Alcaraz didn't play unbelievable tennis — he was missing a lot for his standards — even if Alcaraz plays with the left hand, you couldn't beat him 6-3, 6-2.

Jannik Sinner thrilled his home fans with his run to the title match at the Nitto ATP Finals, but the Italian fell short against Novak Djokovic in Sunday's championship round. Despite the defeat in Turin, the 22-year-old was upbeat in his post-match press conference.

Sinner was full of praise for his opponent while stepping back to look at the big picture in terms of his own game and development.

"I think today [Djokovic] played really, really good, especially in the back of the court," said Sinner. "But I think today I was not that sharp in certain moments. I felt like also that I dropped this little bit physically. When you drop a little bit against the best player in the world, he makes it look like it's a big difference."

Earlier in the week, Sinner defeated Djokovic on the way to a perfect group-stage record. But the Serbian was a different proposition on Sunday, when he brought his best form in a near-flawless serving performance.

"Tennis is interesting because, as you can see, every day is different," Sinner said. "Some days [ago] I won against him. Here the same conditions again and you lose.

"But I think generally today I saw that I still have to improve, for sure. I believe that he makes me a better player, like all the other players have done who I lost to. I now have to work on this."

Novak Djokovic delivered a masterclass to defeat home favourite Jannik Sinner on Sunday in the Nitto ATP Finals title match. After a peerless performance, the 36-year-old now stands alone with a record seven crowns at the season finale.

The Serbian was at his very best in a 6-3, 6-3 win against the Italian, 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.

“It’s one of the best seasons I’ve had in my life, no doubt," Djokovic said at the close of a 55-6 campaign. "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.

“I had to win the matches and not wait for them to hand me the victory and that’s what I’ve done. I think I played different tactically than I did in the group stage against Jannik, and just overall it was a phenomenal week.”

Djokovic was beaten by home favourite Sinner in the group stage but emphatically turned that result around in the final — a feat he also accomplished against Roger Federer at the 2015 season finale. Eight years later, the World No. 1 has broken a tie with the Swiss for most titles at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Novak Djokovic punctuated another memorable year on Sunday by etching his name in the history books once again.

The 36-year-old defeated Jannik Sinner in Turin on Sunday for his record-breaking seventh Nitto ATP Finals title. The Serbian had shared the tournament record with Roger Federer (6 titles).

It also marked his 71st 'Big Title', which is a combination of Grand Slam championships, trophies at the Nitto ATP Finals and ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, and Olympic singles gold medals. Djokovic owns the standalone record for championships at Grand Slams (24), Nitto ATP Finals (7) and ATP Masters 1000s (40).

Six of the ATP Tour-leading seven trophies Djokovic has earned this year have been 'Big Titles'. It is the most he has claimed in a season since 2016. Of the titles Djokovic has won, more than 72 per cent of them have been 'Big Titles'. 

Djokovic has won one ‘Big Title’ for every 3.1 events played (71/218). The player closest to him in winning rate at these events is Rafael Nadal, who has won one for every 3.5 tournaments played.

Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek have earned Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by Pepperstone honours for the first time.

The Croatian-American duo, which teamed for the first time last year, enjoyed a banner 2023 campaign to finish atop the standings.

Dodig said: “This year was an amazing year for me and Austin. We won five tournaments this year, one Grand Slam, a Masters [1000] and three 500 tournaments. We had a great year, played very consistent. All the hard work we put this year, it's just amazing to finish the year as the number one team and really proud and happy about that. Actually it was one of my best years, even though I'm already for the ninth time in the [Nitto ATP Finals]... I was always playing consistent, was always Top 10 in the world in doubles. But this is something special. This was my goal since I started a couple of years back to only focus on doubles. And now I'm number one as a team.”

Krajicek said: “It's an amazing feeling for sure. Obviously a tough end of the year for us at the Finals, but it really was a special year, the whole year. It's a cool feeling. It's hard to put into words. It's pretty cool to be able to finish as the number one team and know that the hard work you put in all year, all the ups and downs and tough losses and really special wins we've had this year came together at the end there and pretty cool to be able to finish the year number one. It's something that we can always be proud of and look back on, so we're super excited about that.”

[ATP APP]

Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury ended their late-season surge in spectacular fashion on Sunday at the Nitto ATP Finals.

The American-British duo downed Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 6-3, 6-4 to successfully defend their title at the prestigious season finale in Turin. Ram and Salisbury delivered a rock-solid all-around performance to wrap a 69-minute triumph and extend their winning streak inside the Pala Alpitour to 10 matches.

“I don’t know what to say, to be honest,” said Ram after the match. “We love this place. This is the biggest tournament we play on the ATP calendar all year and to win it twice in a row is something I never would have thought of and I’m so proud of.”

Salisbury added: “I think we’ve got better throughout the week. I think that was our best match, maybe along with the semi-final yesterday. I think we’ve served well and not got broken many times. We did that really well and managed to take the few chances we had today. I think we got a little bit of luck as well, but it seems like we get it in this place.”

They love Turin ?@RajeevRam ? @joesalisbury92 #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/Hw1r307K5H

Editor's note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es

Juan Carlos Ferrero accompanied Carlos Alcaraz to the Spaniard’s press conference after he bowed out to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals at the Nitto ATP Finals. Sitting on the floor of the press-conference room in the Pala Alpitour, the former World No. 1 listened as his charge offered a self-critique of his loss to the Serb, while also speaking with pride about the best year of his career.

“It’s been a spectacular year,” said Alcaraz. “You have to realise that I picked up 2000 more points than the previous year but played one fewer Grand Slam. I didn’t play in Australia, and it was still my best season. It was incredible, I played some great matches. I’ve improved little by little and also learned how to deal with the pressure, and with difficult moments.”

“On balance it’s been extremely good,” reflected Ferrero, the 20-year-old’s coach, later. “As long as you improve on your previous season, it is good on balance. This year we won the Grand Slam we were least expecting [Wimbledon], and it was a pleasant surprise. And he picked up about 2000 more points without playing in the Australian Open. That says a lot about the effort he’s made at every tournament to build and keep pushing.”

JAW-DROPPING ?

Just an insane level between @carlosalcaraz & @DjokerNole!!! #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/Qgy6nAsIMR

Novak Djokovic had little to nitpick about his game Saturday evening after dismissing World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 6-2 for a place in the Nitto ATP Finals championship match.

“One of the best matches of the year in these circumstances playing probably the biggest rival I had this year, Carlos. We had some epic matches. Actually, all three matches we played this year were marathon matches that went the distance,” Djokovic said. “I think everyone expected, including probably both of us, that we were going to have a long night, a big fight, a long match.

“I just managed to I guess step it up. When I broke his serve at 4-3 in the first set, played a really flawless match until the end of the match. Played great tennis, high level, put a lot of pressure on his service games, made him play. I served really well when I needed to.”

Djokovic needed three hours and 49 minutes to defeat the 20-year-old in the Cincinnati final. But by playing what he called “one of the best matches of the year”, the Serbian faced much less difficulty at the Pala Alpitour.

“Couldn't be coming at a better time for me, considering that I maybe wasn't playing my best tennis in the first three group stages, matches of the group stages,” Djokovic said. “But tonight I played close to my very, very best.”

Carlos Alcaraz struck Novak Djokovic on the wrong night. And on the wrong court.

As the Spaniard and the capacity crowd inside Turin's Pala Alpitour expected another epic showdown to match their clashes in the Wimbledon and Cincinnati finals, Djokovic played what he described as ‘one of the best matches of the year’ in their Nitto ATP Finals semi-final, which the Serb won 6-3, 6-2.

Alcaraz saw two break point chances at 15/40 in the opening game but he could not convert. Djokovic gambled with two bold second serves during the game to get out of trouble, sending a clear signal of intent that set the pattern of the night."

“He plays the same level during the whole match. The shot quality he has is unbelievable,” Alcaraz said. “He plays really, really deep. It's really difficult to take advantage from that. Once again, he has shown why he's the best player in the world.

The Turin debutant also noted that his lack of indoor hard court experience, especially when matched against that of Djokovic, a seven-time champion in Paris and six-time champion at the season finale, was telling.

Some of the biggest celebrities in the world have performed at the Pala Alpitour, from Bob Dylan and Madonna to U2 and Rihanna. But nobody rocks the 2006 Olympics venue like Jannik Sinner.

“Ole! Ole, Ole, Ole! Sinner! Sinner!”

The chants have shaken the facility for the past week as the Italian has taken the Nitto ATP Finals by storm to become the first Italian to reach the final at the event. In the bowels of the arena, the constant vibrations caused by the crowd have felt more like what you would expect from a rock concert than a tennis match.

Finals Day at #NittoATPFinals @janniksin vs @DjokerNole

If their match in the Round Robin left you wanting more, good news, its time to re-run the fun ??

Who's taking home the ?❓#TennisInsights | @atptour pic.twitter.com/wHXLJJq0oj

Sinner is so popular around these parts that one of the streets that runs next to the Pala Alpitour is lined with dozens of Nitto ATP Finals banners sporting his image. It feels like this is the Italian’s moment to step into the sun and become even more of a national icon than he already is.

Novak Djokovic capped a year of tense battles with Carlos Alcaraz in style Saturday at the Nitto ATP Finals, where the World No. 1 powered to a 6-3, 6-2 semi-final victory against the Spaniard.

Djokovic was at his rock-solid best throughout the 88-minute encounter in Turin to notch his third win in four Lexus ATP Head2Head clashes with Alcaraz this year. The Serbian offered few attacking opportunities to his powerful opponent by consistently striking deep and clinched a break of Alcaraz’s serve in each set to set a championship-match meeting with home favourite Jannik Sinner.

“After spending a lot of time on the court in the first three matches, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel tonight,” said Djokovic. “This year I wasn’t maybe as sharp in the second and third group matches, particularly, but I think tonight from the very beginning I felt the ball well.

“I approached the match with the right attitude, the right mentality, and I knew from the very first point it was going to be greatly intense. He had break points right away, 15/40 in the first game. That’s Carlos. He always brings out his best in these kinds of matches and starts with a lot of high quality tennis and intensity. You’ve got to match that, try to weather the storm, and I did that.”

NOVAK. DJOKOVIC. @DjokerNole | #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/daUY8787Pi

Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury moved to within one win of successfully defending their Nitto ATP Finals crown on Saturday when they defeated Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin, ending the fourth seeds Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by Pepperstone hopes.

As they have done throughout their time together, the American-British pair came up with big shots in big moments, finding first serves and penetrating returns to triumph 7-6(5), 3-6, 10-7 after one hour and 50 minutes.

Ram and Salisbury have now won their past nine matches in Turin, having lifted the trophy at the year-end event 12 months ago. They will aim to make it 10 and successive crowns when they play Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the final.

"It is amazing," Salisbury said. "I can't quite believe it. We have had some really tough matches this week. We have not always played our best but we managed to come through and it feels that there is something speical playing here. It is amazing to play in another final here tomorrow."

[ATP APP]

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz will meet on Saturday in a tantalising semi-final showdown at the Nitto ATP Finals. Since their first clash at the 2022 Mutua Madrid Open, the stars have shown their games and fighting spirits make for memorable matchups.

Before their Turin battle, ATPTour.com looks back at all four of their previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings.

Madrid 2022, SF, Alcaraz d. Djokovic 6-7(5), 7-5, 7-6(5)
The 2022 Mutua Madrid Open was where Alcaraz showed he was more than just a talented player on the rise. After a memorable win against countryman Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals, his tournament did not get any easier against top seed Djokovic.

In the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head encounter, Djokovic received a full taste of what Alcaraz is capable of. The home favourite brought a selection of power and finesse to the Caja Magica.

Alcaraz hit 51 winners compared to 24 for Djokovic, and sent the Serbian scrambling with plenty of drop shots. When it came time to seal the match, the teen did it in style with a booming forehand winner to upset the World No. 1 after three hours and 36 minutes and become the first player to beat Nadal and Djokovic at the same clay-court tournament.

All good things must come to an end.

A host of singles and doubles stars announced the end of their professional playing careers in 2023. On Friday at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, the ATP Tour took the time to honour some of those who played their final match this season.

ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi welcomed Pablo Andujar, Thomaz Bellucci, Jeremy Chardy, Peter Gojowczyk, Treat Huey, Malek Jaziri and Oliver Marach with a speech in the player lounge at the prestigious season finale. The seven players also later participated in an on-court ceremony at the Pala Alpitour.

“It’s something special,” said Chardy, who reached a career-high of No. 25 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. “You work hard your whole life. When you were young, your dream was to become a tennis player, and from the moment you start to play on the ATP Tour, the time flies so fast. It went really quick, a lot of hard work, a lot of good memories on the court, off the court with other players, all the people from the ATP.

“I enjoyed my journey so much and I have no regrets. I just finished and I’m already coaching, I’m still on Tour. It means I really love tennis!”

Alexander Zverev ended his impressive 2023 comeback season in victory despite missing the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals, defeating Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4 Friday night in Turin to finish the year with 55 match wins and as World No. 7.

Having missed more than half of the 2022 season following his horrific ankle injury in the 2022 Roland Garros semi-finals, Zverev will be well satisfied with what he achieved during the season, which began with just three wins from his first nine matches.

The German finished the Red Group with a 2-1 record but missed the knockout stages of the season finale because group rivals Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev had superior sets-won records.

“I have to look back on the week in a positive way. I beat Alcaraz and I beat Rublev," said Zverev, who won 64 per cent of points on Rublev's second serve.

“After the injury that I had, to be back here with the top eight players in the world, winning two matches, gives me great hope. I’m as motivated as I’ve very been for next year."

The Top 4 players in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings will all be in action in a pair of heavyweight clashes on semi-final Saturday at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Home favourite Jannik Sinner meets Daniil Medvedev in the afternoon session at the Pala Alpitour before World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz resume one of the biggest rivalries of the 2023 season on Saturday night in Turin.

[3] Daniil Medvedev vs. [4] Jannik Sinner (ITA)

Until six weeks ago, Medvedev and Sinner’s Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry was only heading one way.

The World No. 3 Medvedev had won all six of his tour-level meetings with Sinner prior to the China Open, where the pair met in the championship match in early October. The Italian dug deep in a pair of tie-breaks in Beijing to break his duck against Medvedev, however, and backed up that win with a repeat result (this time over three sets) to become champion in Vienna later that month.

Now Sinner chases a late-season hat-trick against his Top 5 rival on an even bigger stage. The Italian racked up a perfect Green Group record this week at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he reeled off three high-class performances in front of his passionate fans. That crowd energy, which was maintained throughout his wins against Stefanos Tsitsipas, Djokovic and Holger Rune, is something Sinner will only see as a boost on Saturday when he looks to overcome Medvedev for a final berth.

The transformation from Monday to Friday has been spectacular. Carlos Alcaraz has gone from being ‘mentally exhausted’ after his loss to Alexander Zverev, to reaching the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals by consecutively sinking Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev. The Spaniard will now clash with Novak Djokovic on Saturday in the semi-finals after a turnaround that means he can aspire to go all the way at Turin’s Pala Alpitour.

So, what exactly happened?

“I spoke to Juan Carlos [Ferrero] after the first match,” admitted Alcaraz. “Obviously, something was up. In the last tournaments, the people closest to me, and even those that don’t know me so well, could see that I didn’t have the same attitude as at the start of the season. It’s not a question of being tired or not, it’s about enjoying myself.

“Juan Carlos opened my eyes. This is the last tournament of the year and I have to give everything I have. We’re at the [Nitto] ATP Finals. We also spoke about the level and what I had to do. Once again, I realised that my game depends on whether or not I enjoy myself, whether or not I smile. At the end of the day, that’s the most important thing for me. Obviously, the joy and the smile have returned to my game and I think that was reflected in the matches.”

On Saturday, the two-time Grand Slam champion will have to enjoy himself, smile, and possibly do even more when he squares off against Djokovic for the fourth time this season (2-2 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series). In 2023, the Serbian won their first battle in the semi-finals of Roland Garros, Alcaraz returned the favour in the Wimbledon final, and Djokovic reaped his revenge in the decider at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.

Defending champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury maintained their perfect record at this year’s Nitto ATP Finals on Friday when they downed already-eliminated Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler 5-7, 6-1, 10-2.

Ram and Salisbury, who had already qualified for the semi-finals, won 79 per cent (30/38) of their first-serve points to triumph after 83 minutes, improving to 3-0 in Red Group play. The sixth seeds will meet Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the last four, with Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos taking on Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden.

[SWEEPSTAKES]

Ram and Salisbury have now won their past eight matches in Turin, having lifted the trophy at the year-end event 12 months ago. Earlier this season, the American-British team won their third consecutive US Open crown.

Australian Open champions Hijikata and Kubler end round-robin play holding a 0-3 record.