Jannik Sinner dominated so much at the ATP Finals that it was hardly a contest

TURIN, Italy (AP) — It’s supposed to be the tournament where the year’s top eight players battle it out for one last prestigious trophy.

Only this year it was hardly a contest at the ATP Finals.

That's because Jannik Sinner’s game reached such a high level in Turin that his fellow competitors — all of them ranked in the top 10 — said “there’s nothing you can really do” because “he’s playing almost too good.”

“I go into these matches expecting him to hit incredible shots,” said Taylor Fritz, the American who had the misfortune of facing Sinner twice, losing both in the group stage and in Sunday’s final. “When it happens, you just tell yourself there’s nothing you can really do.”

Sinner’s triumph followed his first two Grand Slam titles this year at the Australian Open and U.S. Open. He’s got a huge lead atop the rankings, is on an 11-match winning, has won 26 of his last 27 matches and has a 70-6 record overall this year.

In matches against No. 9 Alex de Minaur, No. 4 Fritz, No. 5 Daniil Medvedev in the group stage; then No. 6 Ruud in the semifinals and Fritz again in the final, Sinner didn’t drop a set — a feat last accomplished at the ATP Finals by Ivan Lendl in 1986. Nobody even got more than four games off him in a set.

Sinner, however, didn't face Carlos Alcaraz, the only player who beat him more than once this year.

Ruud was blown away by Sinner’s level after playing him for the first time in three years.

“Everything in his game improved,” Ruud said. “He’s very serious about what he does. It’s inspiring. Even though he’s younger than me, I have a lot to learn from him.

“He’s playing almost too good for most of the opponents,” Ruud added.

Ruud, who only managed to win three games against Sinner in a 6-1, 6-2 rout, described the Italian’s shots as “missiles.”

“You feel like unless you hit a ball with really good depth or close to the sidelines — and even if you hit close to the sidelines but not fast enough — he’s going to rip it back at you,” Ruud said. “It’s stressful. For a split of a second every time before you hit a shot you know, ‘If I don’t get this right, I might be punished on the next shot.’”

Ruud was asked to compare Sinner's level to Novak Djokovic, the record 24-time Grand Slam champion who withdrew from the tournament this year due to injury.

“On TV it looks probably similar the way they play. But Jannik hits a faster ball than Novak. He doesn’t let you breathe," Ruud said. "With Novak you can play rallies. I’m not going to say it’s easier to play Novak because he’s the best in history. At least with Novak you can play more rallies and not be terrified of Novak ripping a bomb down the line or cross-court.

"You don’t realize how fast Jannik plays unless you watch him play live and you’re there in the stadium,” Ruud added.

Sinner tested positive in two separate drug tests in March and a decision to clear him of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in September. A final ruling is expected next year.

Sinner’s explanation was that the banned performance-enhancer entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat his own cut finger.

WADA is seeking a ban of one to two years but Simone Vagnozzi, one of Sinner’s co-coaches, said the team isn’t even planning for a possible stop.

“Honestly, we haven’t even thought about it, and I don’t even want to think about it,” Vagnozzi said. “He doesn’t deserve a ban because he didn’t do anything wrong. He couldn’t have prevented what happened.”

Meanwhile, Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill, Sinner’s other co-coach, have been implementing more options into Sinner’s game.

“He played the backhand slice well against Medvedev but he could use that more often in other circumstances. He could serve-and-volley more,” Vagnozzi said. “Today he constantly changed his return position so as not to give Fritz any reference points.”

Sinner won a total of eight tournaments this year and will have a mountain of ranking points to defend in 2025.

“We couldn’t care less about that,” Cahill said, preferring to focus on the “Race to Turin” standings instead that qualifies players for the finals: “January 1 will be the same as every single player on tour. It’s a Formula One race for us. We start from zero and away we go, week by week and try to build points.”

First, though, Sinner will attempt to help Italy defend the Davis Cup title this week in Malaga, Spain, — where Rafael Nadal will retire.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Italy's Jannik Sinner poses after winning the final match of the ATP World Tour Finals against Taylor Fritz of the United States at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Italy's Jannik Sinner returns the ball to United States' Taylor Fritz during their singles tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Russia's Daniil Medvedev returns the ball to Italy's Jannik Sinner during their singles tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Norway's Casper Ruud reacts during a semifinal tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals against Italy's Jannik Sinner at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Italy's Jannik Sinner returns the ball to United States' Taylor Fritz during their singles tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Taylor Fritz of the United States reacts during the final match of the ATP World Tour Finals against Italy's Jannik Sinner at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Italy's Jannik Sinner holds the trophy after winning the final match of the ATP World Tour Finals against Taylor Fritz of the United States at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Italy's Jannik Sinner returns the ball to Russia's Daniil Medvedev during their singles tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

SHANGHAI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 18, 2024--

On November 13, 166 sculptures shaped like water drops of varying sizes were erected in the Sculpture Park in front of DIFC, attracting the attention of many people. Many residents and tourists came to view and take photos as a souvenir, making it a beautiful sight in front of DIFC.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241115737090/en/

"Dancing Water" made a dazzling appearance in Dubai

These large water drops are one of the main attractions at the ongoing third edition of the Sculpture Park opening ceremony - Whispers of the City, and also the Dubai station of the "Dancing Water" art exhibition by artist Simon Ma. The exhibition originated from the Venice Biennale and has previously been displayed in Italy's Milan, China's Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Hangzhou, garnering widespread attention worldwide.

Compared to previous exhibitions, the "Dancing Water" exhibition in 2024 has been upgraded in scale and form. The tallest water drop reaches a height of 9.6 meters, with a total of 166 water drops, and the exhibition also includes interactive light and shadow, allowing people to interact with the water drops.

The dancing water convey the idea of benevolence and environmental protection with a natural and eco-friendly approach.

Artist Simon Ma says that the inspiration for this series of works came from a rational and emotional understanding of the concept of "benevolence" in Confucianism. The goal is to convey the energy of joy and pleasure through the joyful form of "dancing water" and to call on people to cherish water resources and pass on the environmental protection concept of benevolence towards nature.

Creating a new chapter for the Middle East art market

Moreover, Simon Ma ,revealed that he plans to strengthen cooperation with government and art institutions in the Middle East in the coming years, expanding art resources and markets in the region, and injecting more inspiration and vitality into his own art creation. He also hopes to promote cultural exchange and friendly cooperation between China and the Middle East through art exhibitions. It is reported that Simon Ma was invited by the Hong Kong government to hold a larger-scale "Dancing Water" art exhibition at Tamar Park in Hong Kong next March.

(Photo: Business Wire)