Italy's Sinner caps accomplished but controversial year with ATP Finals title

Top-ranked Jannik Sinner added another big title to his tremendous year, beating U.S. Open runner-up Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday for the ATP Finals trophy before his home fans — and before a final verdict is reached in his doping case.

Sinner won his first two Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and U.S. Open in 2024 and had already clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking.

But Sinner also 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 in September. A final ruling is expected from the Court of Arbitration for Sport early 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.

Sinner maintained his recent mastery over Fritz, having also beaten the American in the U.S. Open final in September and in the group stage this week at the elite event for the year's top eight players.

By sweeping all five of his matches en route to the trophy, Sinner earned $4.8 million US — the largest winner's prize on the men's tour.

"It's the first title in Italy and it means so much to me," said Sinner, who also won the Next Gen ATP Finals — an event for the top under-20 players — in Milan in 2019. "It's something very, very, very special."

Sinner became the first Italian to win the finals and he went one step further than last year, when he lost the championship match to Novak Djokovic, who withdrew this time. And he did so without dropping a set — which was last accomplished by Ivan Lendl in 1986.

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