Jannik Sinner promises 'work will never stop' as he clinches ATP Finals title

Italian caps successful season with victory over Taylor Fritz in Turin final and opens up about doping controversy

Jannik Sinner of Italy celebrates his victory over USA's Taylor Fritz in the ATP Finals title match in Turin, Italy, on Sunday, November 17, 2024. EPA

Jannik Sinner capped a successful season with the ATP Finals title in Turin. EPA

USA's Taylor Fritz hits a return to Jannik Sinner in Turin. AFP

Jannik Sinner lifted the ATP Finals title in front of home fans in Turin. EPA

Taylor Fritz lost in straight sets to Jannik Sinner in the ATP Finals title match. EPA

Jannik Sinner concluded a near perfect season with the ATP Finals crown. EPA

Home favourite and world No1 Jannik Sinner became the first Italian to win the ATP Finals title following a dominant 6-4, 6-4 victory over American Taylor Fritz on Sunday.

Sinner, who lost last year's final to Novak Djokovic, did not put a foot wrong this time as he finished undefeated and without dropping a set to earn $4.8 million in prize money in Turin.

In a rematch of this year's US Open final, the 23-year-old Sinner broke Fritz's serve with a fine drop shot to take a 4-3 lead before notching the opener with his 10th ace in the match.

Fritz, the first American to reach the final since James Blake in 2006, also dropped serve in the second set by hitting a forehand long which allowed the Italian to seal the contest in 85 minutes.

"It's amazing. Just an amazing week. For me, it's a first title in Italy, so it means so much to me. I'm very happy about that, it's very special," Sinner, who also beat Fritz in the group stage in Turin, said on court.

"I just try to understand what works best for each opponent, try to play the best tennis possible. That was the key, I played a high-level tournament from my side. At times I couldn't play better, so I'm very happy."

It was a special win for Sinner who opened up about his ongoing doping case.

Sinner tested positive in two separate drug tests in March and a decision to clear him of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency in September. A final ruling is expected from the Court of Arbitration for Sport early next year.

Sinner explained that the banned performance-enhancer entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat his own cut finger.

“I've kept on thinking about where we went wrong and what we could have done better,” Sinner said. “I had days where I wasn't feeling great; nights when I didn't sleep well.

“But when I put my hat on, I don't think about what's going on beyond the court,” he added. “I'm fortunate to have people around me who keep me stable. Thanks to them we've continued to work hard every day like there's no tomorrow and we've even improved in this period.”

Sinner's victory in Turin was the latest achievement in a year full of them following his first two Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and US Open and clinching the year-end No1 ranking.

Sinner has won 26 of his last 27 matches and ends the ATP season with eight titles and an overall record of 70-6.

“The work will never stop. We know we still have room for improvement,” Sinner said. “But it’s been an incredible season and there’s no better place to finish the season than here.”

Fritz fell short in his bid to become the ATP Finals' first American champion since Pete Sampras in 1999. However, he will climb to a career-best of fourth in the rankings.

"With the good results, it's been a great week for me," said Fritz, who lost to Sinner for the fourth time in five meetings.

"It's a good way to end the year. Gives me a lot of confidence finishing the season.

"Starting next year, I feel like I have a good idea of what things I need to improve on, but I also feel like I'm playing very good tennis.

"I feel like I've gone up a level and I'm much more confident in my game."