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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.”

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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.

The order of play for the Nitto ATP Finals has been released. Home favourite Jannik Sinner will play 2020 champion Daniil Medvedev in the afternoon (not before 2:30 p.m. CET), and six-time champion Novak Djokovic will face second seed Carlos Alcaraz (not before 9 p.m. CET) in the evening.

It is a stacked lineup featuring the top four seeds. Sinner won the Green Group and Alcaraz won the Red Group, while Djokovic and Medvedev finished second in Green Group and Red Group, respectively.

Sinner and Medvedev have faced one another twice since the US Open, with the Italian winning finals in Beijing and Vienna. Medvedev leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 6-2.

Djokovic and Alcaraz have quickly developed an intriguing Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry. Of their four clashes, one came in this year's Wimbledon final (won by Alcaraz) and another came in the Cincinnati final (won by Djokovic), widely considered one of the best matches of 2023.

In doubles, third seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden will take on fifth seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos at 12 p.m., while defending champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury will play fourth seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin not before 6:30 p.m.

After just 80 minutes on court Friday, Daniil Medvedev suffered his first loss of this year’s Nitto ATP Finals. But the World No. 3 is not dwelling on the defeat to Carlos Alcaraz, nor does he have time to. Medvedev is keeping a short memory, turning his attention to tomorrow's semi-final showdown against home favourite Jannik Sinner.

“For sure I would love to win this match, but it didn't happen. Now I have to forget it very fast and try to focus only on tomorrow,” said Medvedev, who finished second in Red Group. “At this moment, the only thing that is left is I have a match quite soon, less than 24 hours. I have to only [think] after I leave this room, ‘How do I beat Jannik tomorrow?’”

Prior to October, Medvedev was 6-0 against Sinner in their Lexus ATPHead2Head series. But with the Italian defeating him in the Beijing and Vienna championship matches, Medvedev is aiming to end his two-match skid against Sinner.

[ATP APP]

“At this moment he's in top form. The results prove it. He can do everything,” Medvedev said. “He can serve-and-volley, but at the same time he can stay at the baseline and be very good. Some dropshots, slice, down the line, cross. He can do every shot and that's why he's a top player.

When Jannik Sinner defeated Holger Rune on Thursday evening, he did more than confirm Novak Djokovic’s berth into the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals. The Italian also gave the World No. 1 a chance to continue chasing the history books.

Djokovic is two victories from breaking a tie with Roger Federer for the most titles in tournament history. If the 36-year-old triumphs on Sunday, he will claim his seventh Nitto ATP Finals trophy.

Most Nitto ATP Finals Titles

One year ago, aged 35, Djokovic became the oldest champion in the history of the event. He was five years older than the previous-oldest tournament winner, Federer (2011). Djokovic first emerged victorious at the season finale 15 years ago, in 2008, when it was known as the Tennis Masters Cup.

Djokovic is also trying to climb other Nitto ATP Finals leaderboards. He is currently tied with Bjorn Borg (16-6) for fifth in winning percentage at 72.7 per cent. With a 48-18 record at the event, he could climb past Boris Becker (36-13, 73.5%) to fourth on the list. Ilie Nastase (22-3, 88%) is in first.

Carlos Alcaraz has finished top of the Red Group after a 6-4, 6-4 win over Daniil Medvedev Friday in Turin, setting the stage for a semi-final showdown Saturday with six-time champion Novak Djokovic at the Nitto ATP Finals.

With the world’s Top 4 players all emerging from the group stage, Medvedev, the 2020 champion, will play Italian hope Jannik Sinner in the other semi-final.

Alcaraz and Medvedev produced a high-quality shotmaking show at the Pala Alpitour in Turin, where the Spaniard increased his aggression and moved forward to gain an advantage on the World No. 3.

“I think the most important thing that I did today was to stay strong mentally,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. “There were a few games on my serve that I was struggling a bit. His return game is amazing and he puts so much pressure on your serve, so I think to stay calm and stay strong mentally in those moments was the key to give myself a chance to win this match.”

A pivotal moment came when Alcaraz reeled off seven consecutive points in the first set, breaking Medvedev’s serve to love at 3-3. Alcaraz, who is making his Nitto ATP Finals debut, played with variety, often mixing in serve-and-volleys and drop shots to counter Medvedev’s deep court positioning. World No. 2 Alcaraz struck 20 winners and converted 16 of 21 net points to down Medvedev after one hour, 20 minutes.

There is a celebration of sustainability on show this year at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

At the Pala Alpitour’s Fan Village, visitors can find out about title sponsor Nitto’s initiatives when it comes to promoting environmental causes and reducing CO2 emissions. Interactive games, a quiz and participation prizes are on offer to help engage fans with one of the most important topics of our time.

“Things like this help raise awareness for this topic with people who might not think about it much or aren’t aware of it,” said tennis fan Sandra Müller from Germany, whose favourite players are Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas. “It helps include more people in the theme of sustainability.”

Fans play a 'BATAK' game at the Nitto Booth in the Pala Alpitour's Fan Village. Photo Credit: Nitto/Siobhan Hennessy.

As well as an opportunity to take a photo with a replica of the Nitto ATP Finals trophy, visitors to the Nitto Booth can participate in a survey about Nitto, get a Nitto ATP Finals logo face sticker made from the company’s skin-friendly adhesive, and play a ‘BATAK’ reflective game, where they have to hit buttons to simulate the collection of CO2. Participants then receive tokens, which can be exchanged for a prize from a ‘Giant Gacha’ gumball machine.