ATP World Tour Finals: Jannik Sinner v Novak Djokovic in the final – live | ATP Finals

Sinner 3-6, 1-2 *Djokovic (*denotes next server)

It’s quickly 0-30, and Sinner is teetering. But he brings a roar from the crowd by ending a run of 14 points in a row for Djokovic with a well-struck forehand as his opponent tries to regain position in the centre of the court. Next up, there is a lengthy baseline exchange and Djokovic blinks first, sending the ball wide. Sinner pumps up the crowd, shaking his fist and demonstrating that he has not lost hope. But on the next point a fearsome forehand to the corner is simply too good from Djokovic. Sinner stretches for it as best he can but can only get the frame of his racket on the ball.

Break point Djokovic – Sinner wrestles it back to deuce – but more high-class hustle from the Serb earns him another break point. The Italian does remarkably well to commit to his shots despite being break point down. Djokovic tries to pass him down the line but the ball flicks off the net and out. Djokovic looks stunned! He soon has another break point, but Sinner battles with spirit yet again, earns himself a game point, and then thumps a big serve down the middle which wins him the game. He shakes his fist and roars. Could he find a way? Physically, Sinner has looked a bit off the pace, but perhaps he’s beginning to warm up?

*Sinner 3-6, 0-2 Djokovic (*denotes next server)

Another collection of top-drawer Djokovic serves to which Sinner simply has no answer. The love hold is sealed with a crisp ace out wide. Djokovic pumps his fist. Can he break his opponent again, next up?

Sinner 3-6, 0-1 *Djokovic (*denotes next server)

Uh-oh. Sinner falls a break down immediately in this second and potentially final set, and it’s a break to love. At 0-30 Sinner is distracted by some movement in the crowd when he’s about to serve. He then opts to challenge but the ball from his opponent is comfortably on the line. That’s 0-40. On the next rally it’s Djokovic who is in total control again – Sinner floats a backhand long – and the Serb is well on the road to victory here unless Sinner can stage some kind of spectacular recovery.

Djokovic wins the first set v Sinner: 6-3

“Why did he beat Rune?” asks Kevin Mulherrin. “It [throwing the game against Rune and eliminating Djokovic] would have been a perfectly valid tactic. The object is to win the tournament and beating Djokovic once is difficult enough but TWICE!

“Under similar circumstances I suspect Djokovic and a lot of other players would have been more calculating.”

Sinner 3-5 *Djokovic (*denotes next server)

Sinner fires a huge serve down the middle for 30-0, but misdirects a big forehand into the net for 30-15. Djokovic, unquestionably, is the player hitting the ball with more authority. Sinner fluffs a backhand from the baseline and it’s 30-30. Djokovic has yet to miss with a second-serve return, and he is exerting serious pressure on Sinner in every facet of the game. Still, the 22-year-old produces an excellent first serve for 40-15, then smacks an ace down the middle for the game. The crowd chant and cheer, but Djokovic can serve for the first set.

*Sinner 2-5 Djokovic (*denotes next server)

Djokovic has his game face on. A succession of pinpoint-accurate serves, and a clumsy mishit from Sinner, helps him to a love hold. Sinner has to serve to stay in the first set. At this rate Djokovic is going to make short work of this final. The players sit down for a drink, the DJ drops the latest rework of The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall into My Mind) by the Bucketheads.

Sinner 2-4 *Djokovic (*denotes next server)

Sinner makes it 15-0 with a solid wide serve and winner into the open court. Djokovic gifts him the next point, hitting into the net, and at 40-0 Sinner tries to crush a forehand winner, inside-out, but only finds the net. However, Djokovic hits long next up, and Sinner reduces his first-set deficit, still a break down.

*Sinner 1-4 Djokovic (*denotes next server)

The Djokovic forehand is like a sledgehammer. He’s hitting it with complete authority, and Sinner is very much being forced on to the back foot, furrowing his brow and wondering how he can get a foothold in this first set. At 30-15, Djokovic cracks an ace down the middle, and easily wins the next point after a brief rally to seal the game.

“Novak Djokovic, the immovable force,” says Mark Petchey on commentary. I think he means immovable object?

Sinner 1-3 *Djokovic (*denotes next server)

After an unreturnable serve for 15-0, Djokovic leans into a hugely powerful forehand that would make most players crumble, but Sinner bravely stays in the point. Having gained the upper hand the Serb eventually hits a clean winner for 15-15. Sinner then mixes things up beautifully, crushing a big serve for 30-15, then hitting a delightly drop shot for 40-15 that Djokovic applauds.

Sinner comes to the net and volleys for the game, but Djokovic has his measure and hits a brilliant lob to peg him back to 40-30. Sinner unloads from the baseline on the next point, but can only find the net, and it’s deuce … then there is a break in play as it seems someone’s mobile phone is going off in the crowd. There’s always one.

At deuce, a powerful rally from both players ends with Sinner hitting long – it looks in – the Italian decides not to challenge, but hawkeye indicates it did indeed clip the line. Oh well – Sinner coughs up an unforced error next up, hitting wide with another attempted big hit – and Djokovic is a break up.

*Sinner 1-2 Djokovic (*denotes next server)

At 30-0, Djokovic whips a powerful backhand wide – a sloppy error by his exacting standards. He’s back on it on the next point, bending an ace beyond the reach of Sinner for 40-15. The Italian is wayward with his next return, sending it wide, and that’s another easy enough hold for Djokovic. Time for a drink and a tune or two from the in-house DJ.

Sinner 1-1 *Djokovic (*denotes next server)

Whoah. There’s a helluva rally on the first point of Sinner’s service game. Sinner looks to have hit a winner cross-court, after a lengthy exchange from the baseline, but Djokovic hunts it down and returns with interest. Sinner holds on for 15-0. But the Serb is striking the ball imperiously. Djokovic hits long – 30-0 – then Sinner flops a shot into the net from the baseline for 30-15. Sinner thumps a massive wide serve for 40-15 which Djokovic, somehow, gets a racket on, but Djokovic hauls him back to 40-30. A lovely drop shot by Sinner seals the game and he pumps his fist, relieved to have avoided a deuce battle with his tenacious opponent.

*Sinner 0-1 Djokovic (*denotes next server)

A solid first serve down the middle sets up Djokovic to win the first point of the match. Then an ace, and it’s quickly 30-0, and another ace shaped out wide for 40-0. Sinner manages to get into a rally on second serve at 40-0, but is never really in the point, and that’s a very strong hold for Djokovic to kick things off.

“I don’t think this is going to be a straight-sets match, I think this is going the distance,” says Greg Rusedski. “Today’s going to be a lot about belief. How much does Jannik Sinner really believe he can beat Novak Djokovic?”

“For me, I just think Djokovic is going to be a different animal,” says Tim Henman, court-side for Amazon Prime. “I think he’s going to find that way to play a little bit better and get across the line.”

Henman adds he thinks it’ll be Djokovic in straight sets, and Hantuchova agrees.

Sinner’s out on court first, bouncing up and down on his toes, shaking hands with the officials, all that jazz. Djokovic soon joins him. The Serb wins the toss and elects to serve first. Time for a quick photo and we are ready to go.

Here come the players. The young Italian, ranked No 4, is out first.

Are you a Sinner, or are you a winner? Maybe he can be both.

And now here’s Djokovic, walking out to suitably dramatic music.

Here we go, then. Well nearly. The Amazon Prime coverage has fired up, and the pundits are having a chat. “If he stays injury free, he should be lifting a grand slam next year,” says Daniela Hantuchova of Sinner’s progress.

My prediction is that this will definitely go to three sets.

In doubles news, Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury retained their ATP Finals title earlier on, beating Marcel Granollers and Marc Ceballos 6-3, 6-4 in the final.

“I predict Sinner to win,” emails Abdul. “He has the momentum.”

After losing the semi-final, Medvedev predicted that Sinner – if he keeps up this form – will become world No 1 and win multiple grand slams. So perhaps Medvedev would agree with you, Abdul.

Then again, it’s Djokovic isn’t it? I didn’t see the semi-finals but it sounds like he fairly blew Alcaraz off the court.

For me, a tough one to call, but a match that both players will want to win. More searing insight coming up soon.

Will Sinner repeat the feat of earlier in the week and beat Djokovic a second time? Or will the Serb grind his precocious opponent into the dust? You can email me with your predictions.

This final, by the way, is best of three sets, just like all the other matches in the tournament.

Djokovic, it is fair to say, was not a happy customer on Thursday afternoon after he beat the alternate, Hubert Hurkacz, in three sets. The dropped set meant that qualification was put out of his hands and he proceeded to give some distinctly snippy post-match interviews. But it turned out all right when Rune was defeated by Sinner later that night.

The tale of the tape: Djokovic leads Sinner 3-1 in their head-to-head.

Djokovic won at the Monte Carlo Masters in 2021, in two sets, then at Wimbledon in 2022 and 2023. The quarter-final in 2022 was a five-setter when Djokovic hit back from two sets down in typically tenacious style. The semi-final this year was in straight sets.

But Sinner, of course, had Djokovic’s number earlier this week, which is what makes today’s match so fascinating.

Australia have just beaten India by six wickets to win the ODI Cricket World Cup!

Preamble