Jannik Sinner matches Rafael Nadal ATP record after beating Alex de Minaur at the ATP Finals

Follow us on Google Discover

Jannik Sinner opened his 2024 ATP Finals account with a victory over Alex de Minaur.

The 23-year-old is back playing on home soil for the first time as the World number one and he did not disappoint his fellow Italians.

The two-time Grand Slam champion produced a typical solid performance against the Australian to win his first match of the season-ending championships in Turin.

Jannik Sinner needed just 85 minutes to seal a 6-3, 6-4 win and continue his unbeaten record against the four-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist.

What Rafael Nadal ATP record did Jannik Sinner match at the ATP Finals?

Sinner found himself down an early break against Alex de Minaur, but once he bounced back and levelled proceedings, there was only going to be one winner.

After securing a break of serve midway through the second set, Sinner strolled to victory, with some of his fellow Italian players Flavio Cobolli, Lorenzo Sonego and WTA World number four Jasmine Paolini watching in the stands.

With the win, Sinner joined Rafael Nadal as a player aged 23 or under to register 13 or more ATP Tour top 10 wins in consecutive seasons.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion, who will retire after the Davis Cup finals, achieved this feat in the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

Bjorn Borg and Ivan Lendl did so in three successive seasons in the 1970s and 1980s respectively, while Pete Sampras also achieved the feat in 1993 and 1994.

Jannik Sinner reacts to ATP Finals opening win

Sinner defeated De Minaur for the eighth time in a row after registering his 66th match win of the 2024 season. He itinually showed signs of nerves competing in front of his home fans for the first time since the 2023 ATP Finals.

But the reigning Australian Open and US Open winner soon hit his stride and produced the type of solid performance he has become synonymous with.

“I’m glad that I managed to play at this kind of level today,” Sinner said post-match. “It’s a great start for my side for this event, for this tournament, considering I haven’t played an official match in four weeks.

“Every match, it’s very difficult to play against him. He’s a great fighter. You have to earn every point you play.

“Every time we play, he changes a couple of things, so I have to be very aware. It’s very difficult. We don’t have to see only the result, but also how the match goes.”