Jannik Sinner says he has surprised himself in 2024 after capping off his incredible year with a maiden ATP Finals title on Sunday.

Sinner beat Taylor Fritz in straight sets in Turin to claim his eighth title of the season and become the first Italian champion in the competition.

He is the seventh player in the Open Era to win the ATP Finals on home soil, and the first since Andy Murray in 2016, as he collected his Tour-leading 70th win of the campaign. 

The 23-year-old, who had already confirmed his year-end number-one ranking in October, was delighted to finish the season on a high.

"It's amazing, it's my first title in Italy, and it means so much to me," said Sinner. "It's something very special.

"I just tried to understand what works best for each opponent, trying to play my best possible tennis. That was the key.

"It was a very high-level tournament from my side. At times, I couldn't have played better, so I am very happy."

Speaking to Sky Sports shortly after, he added: "Honestly, I have surprised myself the whole year at times, but in my mind, I know how much work I put in and how many sacrifices I have made to be in this position.

"I just try to play in the present moment."

Fritz, the first American to reach the final of the ATP Finals and US Open in the same season since Andre Agassi in 1999, will go into 2025 as the world number four.

The 27-year-old, who also lost to Sinner in the US Open showpiece, remained upbeat despite his defeat, revelling in his success over the past 12 months instead.

"It's been a really good week for me. Obviously, it's a good way to end the year. It gives me a lot of confidence finishing the season like this," Fritz said.

"Something I told my team in 2023 when I hit world number five for a week right before I was defending the Indian Wells title, was 'That's crazy, I'm five in the world, look at all these guys ranked behind me that are probably better than me'.

"Back then I was five, but I didn't feel like I was five. Now I'm ranked where I'm at. I feel like I belong.

"It's a different feeling. It's been a great year. That gives me a lot of confidence to have that belief. That's a huge part of having the big results. The goal I set for myself at the start of the year was to finish top five."

Jannik Sinner claimed his maiden ATP Finals title as the all-conquering world number one capped off a sensational season in style.

Sinner defeated Taylor Fritz 6-4 6-4 in Turin on Sunday, claiming his eighth title of 2024 in the process.

It was a rematch of this year's US Open final, which Sinner also won, and the Italian made home advantage count in another dominant show of force befitting of his place at the top of the ATP rankings.

Fritz, the first American to reach the final of the ATP Finals and the US Open in the same season since Andre Agassi in 1999, managed to force only one break point, and even that was clawed back by Sinner at the end of the first set.

And Sinner's performance on serve was ultimately just too strong for Fritz, who was on the end of a wonderful drop-shot in the final game as his opponent delighted the crowd.

A cross-court forehand went long from Fritz on the next point to decide the match, and complete Sinner's supreme season.

Data Debrief: King of the hill

Sinner is the seventh player in the Open Era to win the ATP Finals on home soil, and the first since Andy Murray in 2016, as he collected his Tour-leading 70th win of the season. He is the first Italian champion of this competition.

The 23-year-old has also joined Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win the Australian Open, US Open and ATP Finals in the same year.

Having fallen at the final hurdle against Djokovic last season, Sinner was in no mood for a repeat of that heartbreak. Indeed, he went through the entirety of this year's tournament without dropping a single set, making him the first player to win the ATP Finals without giving up a set since Ivan Lendl in 1986.

Since the start of August, Sinner has won three of the four tournaments he has competed in, with his sole defeat coming to Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the China Open.

While 2024 will go down as Sinner's year, Fritz can at least take solace in a fine season of his own, and he will head into 2025 as the world number four.

Taylor Fritz dumped Alexander Zverev out of the ATP Finals with an entertaining 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-3) semi-final win, teeing up a final meeting with Jannik Sinner or Casper Ruud.

Fritz became the first American to reach the final of the season-ending event since James Blake in 2006, standing firm in the face of Zverev's monstrous serve to earn a hard-fought win.

Zverev had not seen his serve broken in straight-sets wins over Andrey Rublev, Ruud and Carlos Alcaraz in the group stage, but Fritz achieved that feat in the sixth game to inch ahead in the opener, then only dropped one point in his subsequent two service games.

Zverev came battling back in the second set, breaking at the second attempt then coming through a tough seventh game to hold as he levelled the contest.

However, Fritz would come on strong again in the decider, which required a tie-break after an excellent display of serving from both players. Fritz capped the contest in style on his second match point, sending a fine forehand whizzing across the court and beyond Zverev.

The American, who began the tournament as the fifth seed among eight players, will now have a chance to win the biggest title of his career on Sunday.

Data Debrief: Second time lucky?

This has truly been a breakout season for Fritz, who is the first United States-born player to reach the finals of the US Open and ATP Finals in a single calendar year since Andre Agassi in 1999.

He was beaten in straight sets by Sinner at Flushing Meadows, but he could get a chance for revenge if the Italian overcomes Ruud later on Saturday. Sinner leads the all-time head-to-head with Fritz 3-1.

Carlos Alcaraz was dumped out of the ATP Finals as Casper Ruud sank Andrey Rublev to reach the semi-finals of the Turin event on Friday.

Following his defeat to Jannik Sinner earlier on Friday, Alcaraz could only advance by virtue of percentage of games won if Ruud was beaten in straight sets.

However, Ruud dashed those hopes by taking an opening set in which he won 80% of his first-serve points (16/20) and did not give up a single break point.

While Rublev fought back to level things up in the second set, Ruud came on strong in the third set, ultimately triumphing 6-4 5-7 6-2 in one hour and 45 minutes.

Speaking after the match, Ruud said: "Tennis is interesting sometimes. I don't know what I am doing better this week than the past few weeks... the only thing is serving, I am serving really well.

"It is tough to play the best players in the world but nice because you feel you are an underdog and can play free. You know if you don't bring your A level you will likely lose.

"I knew coming into this match that a set was enough to qualify, so I was a bit nervous at the start. So when I got that first set I could breathe a little."

Data Debrief: Career-best for Ruud

Ruud's victory was his sixth over a top-10 opponent in ATP Tour-level events in 2024, surpassing his previous best in a single calendar year (five in 2022).

With Sinner his next opponent in the semi-finals on Saturday, Ruud will hope to continue his impressive form against the best the sport has to offer.

Alexander Zverev has booked his place in the ATP Finals semi-finals with a straight-sets win over Carlos Alcaraz, who is now facing elimination.

The German secured the year-end number two spot in the ATP rankings after triumphing 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 in just under two hours to set up a meeting with Taylor Fritz in the final four.

Zverev has now won each of his last eight matches and topped the John Newcombe Group but had to work hard for it, with Alcaraz successfully defending a set point to force a tie-break.

The Spaniard struggled to match the pace in the second set though, losing his serve in the opening game, giving Zverev the control he needed to register his sixth career win against Alcaraz.

Zverev avenged his French Open final loss to Alcaraz earlier this year, racking up his 69th win of 2024 in the process, but played down talk he is playing the best tennis of his life.

"You guys need to relax a little bit," he said. "It has been three fantastic matches. I'm happy to be 3-0 in the group for sure, but the semi-finals now are going to be very difficult - no matter who I am against.

"Taylor beat me the last few times we've played at the slams, but I'm looking forward to that match.

"Carlos has beaten me too many times this year in important matches, so I'm happy I got this one. We have a pretty good rivalry, but a great friendship as well. It's always great to share the court with him."

Alcaraz's chances of qualifying for the final four are slim, but he could progress based on the percentage of games won if Andrey Rublev beats Casper Ruud in straight sets later on Friday.

Data Debrief: Out in front

Zverev is looking to cap 2024 on a high by continuing his impressive run, and he is the first player to register 69+ wins in a single season since Andy Murray (78) in 2016.

Since he made his first semi-final at the ATP Finals in 2018, only Novak Djokovic (five) has reached the semis of this event more often than the German (four).

Jannik Sinner made it three wins from as many matches at the ATP Finals with a routine victory over Daniil Medvedev in his final group-stage outing.

Sinner topped the Ilie Nastase Group and reached the last four with a perfect 3-0 record for the second season in a row, beating Medvedev 6-3 6-4 in 75 minutes.

After a late break saw Sinner take the first set, Medvedev threatened a fightback by reeling off three straight games in the second, only to immediately concede another break.

Speaking after the win, his eighth in 15 all-time meetings with Medvedev, Sinner credited his opponent for posing a tactical challenge.

"I'm trying to find new ways to improve as a player," Sinner said. "I'm trying to win as many matches here as I can. Me and Daniil, we know each other very well. 

"So, every time we step on court, we try to change something tactically. I felt like I was ready to see what he was going to do today.

"I know what I have achieved during this year, so I try to step on court with a good mindset. I have beautiful people around me who support me daily, which for me is really important."

Data Debrief: Sinner targeting exclusive club

Sinner's victory ensured smooth passage to the next round, as he bids to replicate the achievements of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, the only previous players to win the Australian Open, US Open and ATP Finals in the same season.

The win – Sinner's ninth in a row – saw him draw level with Alexander Zverev for the most victories on the ATP Tour this year, with 68. They are the first duo to both record at least 50 in a single year since Djokovic (82) and Andy Murray (51) in 2015.

Taylor Fritz has put himself in a strong position to make it to the ATP Finals semis after a comeback win against Alex de Minaur.

Fritz rallied in three sets to triumph 5-7 6-4 6-3 in just over two hours, sealing De Minaur's fate, as he crashed out having failed to win a match.

The Australian made a strong start as he attempted to overturn the odds to reach the semi-finals in his maiden tournament and took control with a break late on, winning the final three games of the first set to take an early advantage.

Fritz fought back, protecting his serve in the opening game before finding his edge late on, and though De Minaur valiantly defended two set points, he could not prevent a decider.

The American eased into cruise control after that, taking a 4-1 lead with a three-game winning streak, from which he did not look back.

"Even though I won the match I feel like there wasn't necessarily any moments when I changed too much," Fritz said.

"He was all over me when I did a great job, but towards the end of the second set, I began to find my serve and I started serving much better.

"When I wasn't creating the first serves, he was just killing me from the baseline. It just gave me a little bit of comfort to just stay in the match and not be under so much pressure all the time. It was still incredibly tough."

His attention now turns to the late match in the Ilie Nastase Group between Jannik Sinner, who has already progressed to the final four, and Daniil Medvedev. The Russian must win in straight sets to progress, but if he drops a set or loses, Fritz will advance along with the world number one. 

Data Debrief: On the brink

Any further involvement at the ATP Finals for Fritz may hinge on favours from elsewhere, but he worked hard on Thursday to put himself within touching distance of the semi-finals for the second time.

He struggled against the big serves of De Minaur, whose aggressive approach saw him outhit Fritz with 12 winners to seven, though he could not translate it into a win.

It means that Fritz (nine) is the first American player to register 9+ wins against top-10 opponents in a single season since Pete Sampras (10) and Andre Agassi (12) in 1999.

Alexander Zverev outlined his plan to stay at the top of the game for another decade after overcoming Casper Ruud in his second match at the ATP Finals.

Having started his campaign at the season finale in Turin by downing Andrey Rublev, Zverev made it two wins from as many matches with a 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 victory over the Norwegian.

He needed just 86 minutes to wrap up his victory, hitting 28 winners to his opponent's 13 in a confident, powerful performance.

Zverev is appearing at the ATP Finals for a seventh time, and another victory over Carlos Alcaraz on Friday would secure his spot in the semi-finals.

The German has won the event on two previous occasions, beating Novak Djokovic in the 2018 showpiece and overcoming Daniil Medvedev in 2021.

Asked what his experience at the ATP Finals meant for his chances of success, he joked: "It means I'm old! But I still don’t feel old. 

"I hope I have another solid 10 years ahead of me, but I think it’s a young group of guys.

"There has been kind of a shift in tennis this year and I think it's a good thing. They're exciting new players and everybody loves watching them."

Data Debrief: ATP Finals specialist marches on

Since the ATP Finals moved to Turin for the 2021 event, Zverev's eight victories at the competition have only been bettered by Djokovic's 12.

Meanwhile, the German has also managed more ATP Tour-level wins this year than any other player, with Wednesday's success his 68th of 2024.

Daniil Medvedev credited his ability to "block out the noise" as crucial in getting his ATP Finals campaign up and running with a straight-sets victory over Alex de Minaur.

Medvedev, who lost his opening game of the tournament to Taylor Fritz, returned to winning ways with a 6-2 6-4 triumph over the Australian in 78 minutes on Tuesday. 

The Russian cut a frustrated figure in his defeat to Fritz on Sunday, breaking his racket and was docked a point after serving a third consecutive double fault during the encounter.

However, the fourth seed produced an expertly measured performance, winning 20 out of 31 baseline points in the opening set to claim the early advantage. 

The second set was more evenly contested, but Medvedev secured a crucial break point in the ninth game, going on to seal his first top 10 win on hard courts since March. 

"After the last match I was too tired to fight mentally the way I do and so, during the match, when it doesn't work your way, you want to win and when you start losing you get frustrated," Medvedev said. 

"So I went into this match thinking, if I lose I go home on Thursday for sure and if I win then I have the chance to have a good feeling. I tried to hit some shots and it worked well and I'm ok with it.

"A lot of football players do it [block the noise]. It's more about social media and for sure after my performance with Taylor and some of my comments ... I tried to read it less.

"I went into this match trying to block the noise even from myself, so no tantrums and I really didn't care what was happening on the court."

Medvedev will seek to bolster his hopes of progressing from the John Newcombe Group when he takes on Jannik Sinner next, with the Italian in action against Fritz later on Tuesday. 

Data Debrief: Cool, calm and collected

Medvedev kept his hopes of sealing a second ATP Finals crown alive with a composed display against De Minaur, improving his record to 45-19 for the season. 

While the Russian produced more unforced errors (18) than De Minaur (15), Medvedev showed his quality by hitting 24 winners, 14 of which came with his forehand. 

Medvedev also claimed his sixth top 10 win of 2024, while also improving his head-to-head record against his Australian opponent to 7-3, avenging his defeat in the French Open round of 16 earlier this year. 

Alexander Zverev insisted improvements needed to be made despite kickstarting his ATP Finals campaign with a straight-set triumph over Andrey Rublev on Monday. 

Zverev, who is going in search of a third crown at the year-end tournament, emerged a 6-4 6-4 victor in 72 minutes in Turin to claim a Tour-leading 67th win of 2024. 

Rublev, however, got off to a blistering start to the encounter, winning each of his 13 points on serve, only for a lapse in the seventh game that allowed Zverev to take the opening set.

Zverev continued to trade blows with his opponent, but he claimed the decisive break point in the ninth game to maintain his dominant record in opening round-robin matches at the event (6-1). 

"I'm looking forward to the next few matches, and hopefully I can improve on a few more things because I don't think this match was perfect to be honest," Zverev said.

"I still think there's a few more things that can be better. I missed a few balls from the baseline and I feel I wasn't as sharp movement-wise as I would like to be."

Zverev joined Casper Ruud at the top of the John Newcombe Group after he had beaten Carlos Alcaraz earlier on Monday, with the Norwegian up next for the world number two.

Data Debrief: Alexander the Great

After winning the ATP Finals in 2018 and 2021, Zverev's performance against the big-hitting Rublev was a sign of his intentions to complete a hat-trick of victories at the year-end tournament. 

The German struck 22 winners compared to his opponents' 10, along with converting both break points he was presented with. 

Excluding the Laver Cup, Zverev also claimed the 50th ATP top 10 win of his career, becoming the first player born since 1990 to achieve the feat.

Carlos Alcaraz revealed that he struggled with illness during his opening game loss at the ATP Finals to Casper Ruud on Monday. 

Alcaraz looked out of sorts as he fell to a 1-6 5-7 defeat to Ruud in just 86 minutes in Turin, and now faces an uphill struggle if he is to progress from the John Newcombe Group.

During the contest, the Spaniard hit 26 unforced errors compared to his opponents' 10, while also failing to save any of the four break points he faced. 

It also marked Alcaraz's first loss against Ruud in their fifth match against each other, with the 21-year-old confirming he had felt unwell leading up to the tournament. 

“I don’t like talking about things like this because it sounds like an excuse and I don’t want to take anything away from what Casper did to win the match,” began Alcaraz.

“Before coming here, I was unwell at home. When I got to Turin, practice was going well; I could handle long rallies, competing and playing.

"And I hoped things would get better as the days went by.

"I don’t know if it was because of the nerves of the first match, but I didn’t feel completely well. My stomach limited my game a lot and made me feel uncomfortable.

"I could’ve done better. I’m not going to feel good in every match I play throughout the year, but it really limited me in terms of my recovery.”

Alcaraz will be back on court on Wednesday, when he takes on the loser of Monday's clash between Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev.

Failing to win would see the four-time grand slam champion fall short once again at the year-end tournament, but he was confident of claiming a maiden ATP Finals crown. 

“I don’t want to think much beyond today... Given how I’ve felt, it’s difficult to think about the semis,” said Alcaraz.

“The good thing in this sport is that your game can feel very bad one day and very good the next.

"There have been many players who have lost the first match of the [Nitto] ATP Finals and ended up winning. I reached the semis last year after losing on the first day.

"Now I want to take it day by day, to feel better, and see how the next match is. I’ll approach it as best I can. Let’s hope things turn out well.”

Casper Ruud believes his 50th Tour-level victory of 2024 was one of his best after he upset third seed Carlos Alcaraz in his opening match of the ATP Finals on Monday. 

Ruud, who had registered just two wins since the US Open, sealed a 6-1 7-5 win in just 86 minutes against Alcaraz for his maiden Top 3 triumph on hard courts. 

The Norwegian reeled off five consecutive games from 1-1 to claim the first set at a canter but had to battle from the brink to secure a straight-set victory in Turin. 

Alcaraz had raced into a 5-2 lead in the second set but was unable to hold on, with Ruud roaring back to sit top of the early standings in the John Newcombe Group. 

"It's only one match, but it's one of the best wins of the season in terms of who I am playing and his ranking," Ruud said.

"I feel really happy, of course. I think we have seen Carlos play better tennis, but I took care of my chances. 

"I haven't been boosting with confidence in the last few months so it was a great win for me and I would like to get some more wins in Turin.

"I got a good start, I got a break early and in the second set I managed to turn it around with some good tennis at the end."

Ruud will next seek to earn a second win on Wednesday when he will face either Alexander Zverev or Andrey Rublev, who play later on Monday. 

Data Debrief: Ruud awakening

Although Alcaraz appeared below his physical best during Monday's encounter, Ruud took full advantage to continue his impressive streak against the very best in the world. 

The Norwegian's latest win saw his record against players in the Top 10 of the ATP rankings improve to 5-2, and he was a worthy winner in Turin. 

Ruud converted all four of the break points he was presented with, ending the contest with 10 unforced errors compared to Alcaraz's 26. 

After almost a month out of action, Jannik Sinner was delighted to shake off his rustiness with a straight-sets win over Alex de Minaur at the ATP Finals.

Playing on home soil in Turin, the Italian reeled off a 6-3 6-4 victory over De Minaur in 85 minutes, making a winning start to his bid to escape the Ilie Nastase Group, also containing Taylor Fritz and Daniil Medvedev.

It was Sinner's first match since he won the Shanghai Masters on October 13, but he overcame some early nerves to showcase his impressive power from the baseline.

Asked about the impact of his long wait between matches, Sinner said: "Considering that, I'm very happy. 

"I started off with some unforced errors. He was playing great in the beginning of the match, so I just tried to stay there mentally, knowing that hopefully at some point my tennis would arrive. It arrived quite early, and I started to return very well.

"My serve, for sure I have to improve if I want to win the next match. Against Taylor, today he played really well. Hopefully this can give me confidence for the next one."

Data Debrief: The man for the big stage

Sinner's victory over ninth-ranked De Minaur is his 13th against a top-10 player in ATP events this calendar year, having also done so in 2023.

He is just the fifth player aged 23 or under to reach that mark in back-to-back seasons since 1973, after legendary quartet Bjorn Borg (1977-79), Ivan Lendl (1980-82), Pete Sampras (1993-94) and Rafael Nadal (2008-09)

Taylor Fritz opened his ATP Finals campaign with a straight-sets victory over Daniil Medvedev, then acknowledged his fine serving display was the difference.

Fritz recorded a 6-4 6-3 victory over the fourth seed to make a flying start to his second appearance at the season-ending event in Turin.

With world number one Jannik Sinner and Alex de Minaur – who face off later on Sunday – also lurking in the Ilie Nastase Group, Fritz knew the importance of using his serve as a weapon.

He won 85% (33/39) of his first-serve points to Medvedev's 79% (30/38), also firing off nine aces and not committing a single double fault, compared to eight of each for the Russian. 

"The serve was a big part of it for sure," Fritz said after the match. "He's such a good returner. 

"You can make a lot of first serves, but if they are not very high quality, he just puts so many returns in the court.

"It was huge for me, I hit a lot of lines, a lot of spots to start out games. I got out of a lot of service games with no pressure. 

"Some of the ones we got tight in, I was either able to grind through the long rallies or get myself some free points."

Data Debrief: Fifty up for Fritz

Fritz's win made him just the fourth player to register 50 victories in ATP events this calendar year, putting him in an exclusive club.

Only Alexander Zverev (66), Sinner (65) and Carlos Alcaraz (52) have managed more such wins in 2024.

Carlos Alcaraz said he arrives at the ATP Finals with "a lot of motivation" and is looking to make his mark in Turin next week. 

Alcaraz, who claimed two grand slam titles at the French Open and Wimbledon this year, missed the event in 2022 after picking up an internal oblique muscle tear. 

The Spaniard was then beaten in straight sets by Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, though the Olympic champion has since withdrawn from this year's tournament with an ongoing injury issue. 

Alcaraz, however, enters the year-end competition with a win-loss record of 52-11, with only Jannik Sinner (12) claiming more top 10 wins in 2024 than the 21-year-old (11). 

“Last year was a difficult end of the year for me,” Alcaraz said. “I could not play at my best.

"The last two matches here were pretty good matches for me, but the previous two, three tournaments I didn’t play at my best, so I realised I had to change a little bit at this time of the year, which I did this year.

“I come here a little bit different. I approach this tournament a little differently, knowing there are things I have to change if I am to have a good result here and go far.

"Last year I didn’t start well from the first matches. I will try to play at the same level and will try to play good tennis. I am coming here with a lot of motivation.”

Alcaraz was drawn in the John Newcombe Group at the ATP Finals alongside Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev.

He will start against Ruud on Monday, but might face the strongest competition in the group from Zverev, who claimed his seventh Masters 1000 title at the Paris Masters. 

Among the qualifiers for this year's event, Zverev (14) and Daniil Medvedev (11) are the only two to have recorded 10 or more match wins at the ATP Finals.

Alcaraz and Zverev have faced each other 10 times, winning five apiece, though Alcaraz has won the last two, including at Roland-Garros in the French Open showpiece.

“He is one of the toughest players in the world for sure,” Alcaraz said about Zverev.

“I think I return pretty well but he has a really big serve and plays unbelievable from the baseline, which makes him a really tough opponent to face.

“He has won more than 20 ATP Tour titles, lots of Masters titles. He wants a Grand Slam and I told him he is going to get it for sure.

"At the end of his career he will get at least one, let's see if more.

"He deserves it. He is a really hard worker. He has lifted the big trophies. I don’t like to face him because of his serves and shots, but I am trying to find the beauty of playing him.”