Jannik Sinner’s debut at the Nitto ATP Finals was very satisfying. During his first match in Turin against Alex de Minaur, the world number 1 also had some members of his family to support him. In his box, there were his brother Mark and his father Hanspeter.
mark and papa in da house 😍 pic.twitter.com/SYMJCaeNay
— ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀᴡᴀʟʟ pt. II (@causeafteralll) November 10, 2024
There was great anticipation for the debut of the Italian ace in the most important event of the ATP calendar and Italian fans hope that their idol will lift the trophy next Sunday. The group of Italian players is very unique and it is no coincidence that Jasmine Paolini and Lorenzo Sonego were also present in the stands to support the 2-time Grand Slam champion. The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria did not play his best tennis yesterday, but he made the difference in the decisive moments by defeating de Minaur in two sets.
Jasmine Paolini and Lorenzo Sonego in the house to support Jannik Sinner in his match against Alex de Minaur at the ATP Finals in Turin.
So much love for the leader of Italian tennis.
🇮🇹❤️
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 10, 2024
Jannik’s next opponent will be Taylor Fritz, who defeated Daniil Medvedev in straight sets in the first match of this edition. The American player is very dangerous on this surface thanks to his excellent serve and his powerful shots from the baseline, but in general he is less complete than Sinner. Taylor and Jannik have already faced each other this year in the US Open final, won by the Italian champion in three sets.
Sinner wants to improve his game
The world No. 1 defeated de Minaur in just 85 minutes and confirmed that he is the top favorite to win the ATP Finals, where he was defeated by Novak Djokovic in the final last year.
Jannik Sinner, ATP Finals 2024© Stream screenshot
“Considering how long since I last played, I’m very happy,” Sinner explained after the match. “I started off with some unforced errors. He was playing great in the beginning of the match, so I just tried to stay there mentally, knowing that hopefully at some point my tennis would arrive. It arrived quite early, and I started to return very well.”
The 2-time Grand Slam champion wants to improve his game in the next match: “My serve, for sure I have to improve if I want to win the next match. Against Taylor Fritz for example, today he played really well. Let’s see, but today I’m very pleased about the win and hopefully this can give me confidence for the next one.”
The Australian ace played a good match and had gone ahead by a break at the beginning of the match, but he couldn’t resist Sinner’s impressive pace from the baseline. Alex was very brave and tried to be more aggressive than usual, but he doesn’t have the weapons to put Jannik in trouble on such a fast surface.
During the press conference, de Minaur had to admit the superiority of his rival: “I knew I had my work cut out. I thought I started well, then I kind of slipped away. I just couldn’t sustain the level that I needed today to beat Jannik. His ball speed, in my eyes, is so much higher than basically the rest of the people. From both sides he’s solid. He keeps on improving. He’s improved his serve so much throughout the years. I always rate my chances of progressing out of the group. I think the way I see it is that Jannik was the only player in the group who I hadn’t had a win against.”
Almost unbeatable
Jannik’s season has been truly amazing from all points of view so far. Although Carlos Alcaraz’s peaks are truly incredible, Sinner has a consistency that makes him almost unbeatable. The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria finds solutions to win matches even on days when he does not play his best tennis.
It cannot be a coincidence that the Italian ace has suffered only six defeats in the whole of 2024, despite having had the stress of the doping case that surprised him. In 2025, Jannik will try to become even stronger on red clay and grass. This year, his level has dropped slightly in Paris and London also due to the doping case. During the off-season, the world No. 1 plans to practice a lot on volleys and the approach to the net to become even more complete.
Jannik Sinner, ATP Finals 2024© Stream screenshot
Many are wondering what is the right tactic to defeat Sinner at this time. Jamie Delgado – Grigor Dimitrov’s coach – tried to answer this question: “One thing that we tell Dimitrov and it’s very difficult to do but if you let Jannik Sinner dictate in rallies you are in a lot of trouble.
The key is to try and mix up the play and get him in areas of the court he is not as comfortable in. He has actually improved coming forward with short, little slice shots and you have to play aggressive as well. Someone like Carlos, who has beaten him a couple of times, does play aggressive and does vary it quite a lot. I think that’s the only way. It’s very difficult to do, of course, as Jannik hits the ball so hard – you find yourself defending a lot of the time.”