Jannik Sinner kicked off his quest for a first ATP Finals title with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Alex de Minaur on Sunday in Turin, thrilling his home fans. Sinner, who hadn’t played since his Shanghai Masters win, moved to the top of the Ilie Nastase Group with the win over Finals debutant De Minaur.
Despite an early break of his serve, Sinner quickly regained control, winning four consecutive games to take the first set 5-2. He sealed the match with an ace, enjoying an enthusiastic response from the Italian crowd.
“It’s a great start for me in this event,” Sinner told reporters. “I haven’t played an official match in four weeks, so I’m very happy to perform at this level.”
Currently world number one, Sinner has enjoyed a breakout season, claiming his first Grand Slam titles at the Australian and US Opens and winning five additional ATP titles. However, his year has been clouded by controversy after testing positive twice for clostebol traces in March. Initially cleared, Sinner now faces a potential ban as the World Anti-Doping Agency seeks further sanctions.
Meanwhile, former ATP Finals champion Daniil Medvedev experienced frustration in his 6-4, 6-3 loss to Taylor Fritz. Medvedev, visibly upset with his performance, smashed his racket after the first set and received a penalty point for hitting a microphone. Following the match, Medvedev admitted he was looking forward to the season’s end, saying, “I’m tired of fighting against things beyond my control.”
On Monday, Carlos Alcaraz will begin his Finals campaign in the John Newcombe Group against Casper Ruud, while Alexander Zverev will face Andrey Rublev. The top two players from each group will advance to the semi-finals.
