Jannik Sinner solidifies his position as the world number one after his final victory against Frances Tiafoe in the Cincinnati Masters tournament. Sinner is the first player to win two Masters titles this year and has already qualified for the prestigious ATP Finals on home soil in Turin this November.
The newly turned 23-year-old defeated American Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 in the final major tune-up before the US Open. Sinner held his serve throughout the match and now boasts a 15-4 career record in finals. Despite the title, the Italian seemed at times to be bothered by the hip injury he sustained a week ago in Montreal.
The Masters tournament in Cincinnati was an enjoyable experience for several champions from the Royal Tennis Hall. The defending champion of the BNP Paribas Nordic Open, Gaël Monfils, made headlines by upsetting Spanish superstar Carlos Alcaraz in the second round. The French fan favorite was then defeated by Holger Rune, who lifted The Swedish Royal Trophy two years ago.
The 21-year-old Dane advanced to the semifinals, where hometown hope Tiafoe won after saving two match points. Doubles champions in Ohio were Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic, both of whom have previously won in Stockholm.
The US Open qualifiers had already begun before the Cincinnati final was underway. Sweden’s hope, Elias Ymer, plays his first match in this year's last Grand Slam tournament on Tuesday against home player Patrick Kypson.
Fact Special - Best Finals Record in the Open Era
Jannik Sinner has won 15 of the 19 finals he has played on the ATP Tour. The Italian world number one now has the second-best finals record since tennis became open in 1968. To be eligible for the list below, a minimum of 15 tournament wins is required. In cases of the same win percentage, the player with the most titles is placed first.
- Thomas Muster, Austria, 44-11, 80.0%
- Jannik Sinner, Italy, 15-4, 78.9%
- Nikolay Davydenko, Russia, 21-7, 75.0%
- Carlos Alcaraz, Spain, 15-5, 75.0%
- Thomas Enqvist, Sweden, 19-7, 73.1%
- Rod Laver, Australia, 72-27, 72.7%
- Pete Sampras, USA, 64-24, 72.7%
- José Luis Clerc, Argentina, 25-10, 71.4%
- Björn Borg, Sweden, 66-27, 71.0%
- Novak Djokovic, Serbia, 99-41, 70.7%
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