Djokovic lost to Sinner at the ATP Finals.

Italian Novak Djokovic's 19-match winning streak ended when he lost to Jannik Sinner 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-7(2) in the Green group on November 14.

For the second consecutive match at the ATP Finals, Djokovic had to play for over three hours. The Serbian player was unable to take the lead in the third set as he had done against Holger Rune two days earlier. Nole succumbed in his favorite tie-break in the deciding set, thus losing to Sinner for the first time in five head-to-head matches.

Djokovic (left) congratulates Sinner after their match in the Green Group of the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy on November 14.

The fast-paced Turin court made it difficult for both players to return serves. Both had only three break points each, in a match that saw Djokovic hit 20 aces and Sinner 15. Nole fought back tenaciously throughout the match, but was powerless in the decisive tie-break when Sinner attacked powerfully, taking a 5-0 lead before winning 7-2.

Sinner had previously led 4-2 in the third set thanks to a forehand return winner. Djokovic then bounced back with his first service game win of the match. The first two sets saw only one break point converted, by Sinner in game 11 of the first set.

In their first meeting on a hard court, Sinner inflicted his senior opponent's first defeat after four months of unbeaten play. The Italian player, with the home advantage, played confidently and intelligently against Djokovic. Sinner often combined powerful shots with drop shots, putting Nole on the defensive and forcing him to rush to the net before suffering winners from his younger opponent's counter-attacks.

"This win means a lot to me," Sinner shared after the match. "It's great to beat the world number one, a legend with 24 Grand Slam titles."

This season, Sinner has won 59 matches – a record for an Italian player. He has also won 15 of his 16 indoor hard court matches, and for the second time defeated the current world number one. Sinner previously did this at the Miami Masters in March, when he beat Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals.

After two matches, Sinner has a record of 2 wins and 0 losses, giving him a significant advantage in the race for one of the two qualifying spots. Djokovic has 1 win and 1 loss, still having a chance to reach the semi-finals. In the final round on November 16th, Sinner will face Holger Rune while Djokovic will clash with Hubert Hurkacz, who replaced the injured Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Vy Anh

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