Nitto ATP Finals News: Jannik Sinner gets very rich by beating Taylor Fritz
By Lee Vowell
It was only right and fair that Jannik Sinner won the final event of the 2024 ATP year. After all, he accomplished many career-firsts this season, and they will likely be stepping stones to future success as well. The Italian reached No. 1 for the first time in his career (and will finish the year as ATP No. 1), won his first Grand Slam events, and won the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time, too.
Sinner was simply the most consistent player in 2024. He might not have won every event, but he finished with more titles (8) than he had losses (6). He did this by perfecting his serve, becoming an even better returner, and keeping his elite ability to move around the court. One simply does not defeat Sinner on any given point with one great shot; the opponent seemingly needs several.
This was the case on Sunday in the ATP Finals final when Sinner dispatched Taylor Fritz in straight sets. The American did not play poorly. If he had, the Italian might have won 6-2 6-2. Sinner had to fight his way past Fritz, but the difference is that Sinner playing his best is greater than Fritz playing his best. That is meant as zero disrespect to the excellent American.
Jannik Sinner defeats Taylor Fritz to win the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals
Sinner set the tone for the match with an incredible 10 aces in the first set, which he won 6-4. Fritz still had chances to break, but oftentimes that was eliminated by a fantastic Sinner serve. Fritz was not losing the match, Sinner was taking it.
Fritz also had five aces and just one double fault, and he was landing 77 percent of his first serves. Sinner, though, was winning 32 percent of his first-serve returns. Few players are capable of matching that kind of excellence.
The difference between Sinner and most other players is the Italian's wonderous ability to play the angles. He hits to corners that opponents cannot and then sets up players with drop shots or well-placed and well-paced power. There was no better example of this than in the second set against Fritz with the set tied at 2-all when Sinner took advantage of a break point to take the game from the American.
After that, it was simply a matter of Sinner holding serve which he did without great struggle. He won the match 6-4 6-4 and in doing so, he finished the Nitto ATP Finals as an undefeated champion. He pocketed nearly $4.9 million for accomplishing the feat. This pushed his 2024 total, including winning the exhibition Six Kings Slam, to $23 million in prize money.
Sinner also became the first player since Ivan Lendl in 1986 to go through the ATP Finals without dropping a set. He was also broken only twice. That is simply as close to perfect tennis as humanly possible.