Jannik Sinner defended his ATP Finals crown in style. The 24-year-old bested all five rivals in straight sets last week in Turin, mirroring his last year's run. However, the home star went even further in once critical area.
Jannik conquered the elite season-ending event with a serving performance rarely seen in modern tennis. He got broken once across five matches, defending 14 of 15 break points and setting a new benchmark for efficiency.
The home star became the first player since the start of the ATP stats in 1991 to have won the ATP Finals after getting broken only once. The indoor giants like Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic missed that feat, which speaks volumes.
The dominance is theproduct of one of the most efficient serve transformations in recent seasons. While already serving as a strong weapon, Jannik has been working on his initial shot since the US Open final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz.
Sinner and Simone Vagnozzi targeted higher first-serve percentage, improved accuracy under pressure and higher speed that would move the initial shot closer to the lines. The result?
Seven service games lost in three consecutive indoor tournaments that spanned 15 matches! What used to be a solid shot became a full-blown weapon.
The result in Turin was undeniable - quicker holds, scoreboard control, aggressive push on the return and the freedom to unleash his bruising baseline patterns more easily.
Jannik did not face break points against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the first match. He defended all seven against Alexander Zverev and saved a lone one versus Ben Shelton to pass the round-robin stage with his initial shot intact.
Sinner did not lose serve in the semi-final either, saving all four break chances against Alex de Minaur and reaching the title clash. There, he had to work harder against Carlos Alcaraz.
The Italian denied two of three break points, including a set point, dropping serve for the first time during that week but still prevailing 7-6, 7-5 in two hours and 15 minutes.
With the latest title, Jannik confirmed his indoor dominance. It now spans over 31 consecutive victories, moving closer to Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. If his new serving level holds, the rest of the Tour may seek other tournaments to win indoor titles.
