Tennis World number one Jannik Sinner defeated 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 on Sunday to win the Shanghai Masters.
Sinner got a vital break in the fourth game of the second set to defeat the Serb in 1 hour and 37 minutes, denying him his 100th career singles title.
“He was just too good today—too strong, too fast,” said Djokovic after the match.
The Italian described his opponent as a “legend” who kept playing “incredible tennis… year after year.”
In a nod to long-time Djokovic opponent Roger Federer, who was watching from the stands, the 23-year-old said, “There are legends everywhere; I just try to keep up a little bit.”
In front of a raucous audience, neither player blinked in the first set, unable to break the other’s serve.
Sinner immediately grabbed control of the tie-break, breaking Djokovic’s serve on the first point to lead 5-1.
The Serb regained his composure before netting a volley to bring set point at 6-3. Sinner missed the first conversion attempt but did not miss the second behind serve.
The next pivotal moment occurred in the fourth game of the second set, when Sinner led 40-15 on Djokovic’s serve.
Djokovic saved a break point with a blazing ace, but Sinner’s stunning forehand down the line put him ahead.
All that remained was for the Italian to retain his nerve and hit an ace to win the match and the title.
Sinner’s victory caps a remarkable year in which he has won two Grand Slams and held the top spot in the rankings since June.
But it has also been a year of scandal for him, as he tested positive for a banned steroid twice in March.
In August, the International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted Sinner’s account that the substance entered his system accidentally when his physiotherapist used a spray containing it to treat a cut before providing massage and sports treatment to the player.
However, last month, the World Anti-Doping Agency announced that it will appeal the decision to clear him of wrongdoing and seek a two-year punishment.
Sinner received the news while competing in the China Open, where he lost in the final to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, who was also in the stands on Sunday.
He said before the Shanghai event that he was “not in a situation where I feel comfortable in it.”
