| October 13, 2024 | by Vivienne Christie |
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As one superstar era was celebrated at the Rolex Shanghai Masters in 2024, the era of a new champion was also beginning.
At age 23, Jannik Sinner became the youngest man to lift the trophy at Qi Zhong Stadium after victory over Novak Djokovic in the final. The world No.1 required an hour and 37 minutes to complete his 7-6(4) 6-3 victory to triumph in Shanghai for a first time.
The commanding performance further separated the Italian from his challengers in a breathtaking season. Claiming his seventh title, from the eight finals he's contested, Sinner notched his 65th match win of the year.
By virtue of reaching a maiden Rolex Shanghai Masters final, he had already clinched the coveted position as the year-end world No.1. He became the first man to win more than six titles in a season since Andy Murray in 2016. Among those milestones are two Grand Slam titles and three at ATP Masters 1000 level. A maiden triumph in Shanghai stood apart in several ways.
"It's always tough to give it, you know, a ranking or a number, but, you know, today was a very special day because, you know, different circumstances," said Sinner, who was watched by stars including Roger Federer, Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero.
"You know, having Roger in the stands, and Carlos, and Juan Carlos and the atmosphere has been very, very great," said Sinner, who levelled his head-to-head record against Djokovic at four matches apiece.
"Playing against Novak, you know, in a final, it's always very, very tough, so I'm happy how I handled these kind of situations, and, yeah, very happy to hold this trophy here."
A refusal to be intimidated by the history-making Djokovic - whose four Rolex Shanghai Masters make him the tournament's most prolific champion - highlighted Sinner's ability to build on that astonishing record.
At age 37, the Serbian was vying to become only the third man in the modern era to win 100 or more titles. For much of an enthralling first set, that rare century seemed possible as Djokovic both served well and showed his renowned return game.
But when the set progressed to a tiebreak, Sinner lifted a gear. He took a 5-2 lead from which Djokovic couldn't recover and with an early break of serve in the second set, soon took complete command.
The Italian appeared the fresher player as he completed his victory with an eighth ace. It provided a fitting finale to a near perfect display of serving, with Sinner recording zero double faults and not facing a single break point.
"All around, you know, every shot he's got in the game. He's improved his serve tremendously, I think that became a big weapon," said Djokovic, also noting Sinner's all-round abilities in the biggest moments of the match.
"(He's) just very solid from forehand and backhand, doesn't make too many mistakes, and just tries to take away the time from the opponent.
"This year he's been so consistent, it's really, really impressive."
Sinner noted that multiple improvements have contributed to his success. "I feel like that physically I'm ready to play for a longer amount of time at the highest level possible," he said.
"Also mentally I'm ready to accept every tough situation on the court, and which I think that's the biggest step I made forward. And, you know, just trying to stay as calm as possible."
And as the highs of a career-best year accumulate, Sinner is keeping a level head.
"The season's not over yet, it's still a couple of tournaments, but, you know, throughout the whole season I had a lot of success, and hopefully we can keep going, keep improving as a player, and then we see what's coming," he said.
Djokovic, meanwhile, could also count the positives of reaching a fifth final in Shanghai, with his hunger to thrive on the game's biggest stages still strong.
"My main motivation comes from love and passion for the sport, and also the desire to keep competing," he said. "These are kind of the matches and challenges that I still strive for, to be in a position to play against the best players in the world, on the biggest stage, in the finals of some of the biggest tournaments in the world."
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