ATP Finals in 23 years not to feature Federer, Nadal or Djokovic.
Taylor, first of all, congrats to you for an amazing week again. You’ve been so consistent throughout the season. You’ve been working so hard to be in this position, keep going, you’re on the right track.
Just a quick word to Carlos, 40 years of umpiring, amazing career, you might still be in Davis Cup, but me and Taylor feel very privileged to be part of your last ATP journey.
ATP Finals will stay in Italy until 2030. It’s not clear if that means Turin; there has been talk the tournament could move to Milan. “Viva Italia!” the president of the Italian Tennis Federation exclaims. And now recognition for Carlos Bernardes, the Brazilian umpire who officiated this match and is now retiring after a 40-year career.
ATP Finals title and his eighth title of the year, adding to his Australian Open and US Open victories. His breakout season must now feel complete. It’s been near perfection in Turin; he’s the first player since Ivan Lendl to win the season-ending tournament without dropping a set.
ATP Finals title.Sinner’s 6-4, 6-4 victory over the American in the group stage, the pair go at it again, this time with the title on the line.
Sinner’s appearance in this final is, of course, no surprise; the Italian’s been the man of the week, with a perfect record of four straight-sets wins, and indeed the man of 2024, securing two grand slams, five other titles and the year-end world No 1 ranking despite the cloud of his ongoing drug case hanging over him. Adding the season-ending title in front of an adoring home crowd in Turin, 12 months after he lost in the final to Novak Djokovic, has almost felt preordained.
But the big-serving Fritz, emboldened by his inspired performance against the in-form Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals, will be focused on rewriting the script. The way he stayed calm in the clutch moments yesterday, including the final-set tie-break, was hugely impressive and if the world No 5 does the same today we could have an absorbing final – especially as the only real difference between him and Sinner on Tuesday was that the top seed dealt with the pressure points better. Fritz for sure was stronger than in September’s US Open final against Sinner, and that will give him hope.
Is it the hope that kills you or, in the words of Ted Lasso, the lack of hope that kills you? I’m siding with Ted here – Fritz said after his win over Zverev that he now believes he can mix it with the best in the game and I think that gives him a chance today, even though Sinner, the purist of ball strikers with a penchant for the biggest occasions, is very much the favourite.
Sinner will get the Italian party started/Fritz will attempt to spoil it: from 6pm local time/5pm GMT.
To get you in the mood: here are the highlight’s from Tuesday’s encounter.
