Top-ranked Jannik Sinner defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets to win the Shanghai Masters on Sunday, marking Sinner’s seventh title of the season, the most on tour this year.
Sinner won the match 7-6 (4), 6-3 in one hour and 37 minutes, without facing a single break point during the outdoor hard-court tournament. He served eight aces and made 22 winners compared to Djokovic’s four aces and 12 winners.
Djokovic was hoping to earn his 100th tour-level title and his fifth in Shanghai. Only Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer have reached 100 titles in men’s tennis.
With this win, Sinner is the first man to achieve more than six titles in a season since Andy Murray won nine in 2016. He also evened his career record against Djokovic, now with four wins each.
“It was a very tough match, obviously, playing against Novak is one of the toughest challenges we have,” Sinner said.
“It’s tough to tell you a secret about (Djokovic) because he doesn’t have any weaknesses. You have to try and use the small chances that he gives you, but there are not many during the match. He is a legend of our sport, he’s very tough to play against, so I am very happy.”
This victory came after Sinner lost in the final of the China Open in Beijing to Carlos Alcaraz, amid an ongoing doping case.
The 23-year-old Sinner has an 8-2 record against top-5 opponents on hard courts this year, with both losses to Alcaraz, who watched the final from the stands.
Djokovic, 37, was playing in China for the first time in five years. He also lost to Sinner in the Australian Open semifinals and has only one title this year from the Paris Olympics, where he beat Alcaraz for gold.
“I think I played some really good tennis, but congratulations to Jannik,” Djokovic said. “He was just too good today. Too strong, too fast, well done. You’re having an incredible year. You deserve this.”
