Jannik Sinner was thrilled to achieve one of his primary objectives for the 2024 season after becoming the inaugural player to qualify for the ATP Finals. The season-ending championships will continue to take place in Sinner’s home nation of Italy, specifically in the lively city of Turin. Only eight of the ATP’s top performers (both singles and doubles) will participate in this event each season.
In 2024, the ATP Finals in Turin are scheduled to occur from November 10th to 17th within Italy’s largest indoor sports arena, known as the Pala Alpitour (also referred to as the Inalpi Arena due to sponsorship). This marks the fourth year that Turin has hosted the ATP’s premier year-end tournament, and there will be an Italian representative as Sinner has qualified for the competition for the second consecutive year.
During the 2021 ATP Finals, Sinner served as a last-minute replacement for his injured compatriot Matteo Berretitni. Despite an impressive debut victory against Hubert Hurkacz, he was eliminated in the group stage after losing to Daniil Medvedev. However, it was the following year that Sinner truly made his mark on the main stage. He had an undefeated round-robin campaign, which included a remarkable triumph over then-World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.
In the semifinal, he defeated Medvedev and faced Djokovic once again in the championship match. This time, Djokovic rallied and took advantage of Sinner’s nerves to level the score and claim a record-breaking seventh ATP Finals title. Some fans speculated that Sinner’s exertion in winning a meaningless match against Holger Rune actually aided Djokovic’s progress in the tournament.
Sinner later exacted his revenge by defeating Djokovic in a crucial Davis Cup semifinal clash between Italy and Serbia. This victory contributed to Italy’s first team competition title in nearly fifty years. By reaching the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open in Montreal and defeating Alejandro Tabilo, Sinner secured the necessary points for qualification for Turin. He eagerly anticipates showcasing his skills when he returns to Italy at the conclusion of the regular ATP season.
“I am very happy. It’s one of my main goals of the season. I am just looking forward to come back to Italy and hopefully show some good tennis.”
Unfortunately, Sinner’s title defense in Canada encountered a setback as he was defeated in the quarterfinals by Andrey Rublev on Saturday. The tournament had to expedite its schedule to make up for matches postponed due to rain on Friday. Sinner appeared to struggle with a leg issue during his loss to the Russian. Nonetheless, he still leads the ATP Race, which factors in points earned in the current season.
However, should he decide not to participate in the Cincinnati tournament, there is a possibility that Carlos Alcaraz may surpass him and claim the top spot. The gap between the two players is less than 600 points, and the Spanish player managed to significantly narrow the distance between himself and the current leader by winning consecutive Grand Slam titles.
Photo from Jannik Sinner Instagram
