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Jannik Sinner qualified for the semifinals of the 2023 edition of the ATP Finals. The young tennis player managed to achieve this milestone even before playing against Holger Rune, this evening. This was possible thanks to the victory of a set - the second - by Hubert Hurkacz in the match against Novak Djokovic.
Sinner also became the first Italian tennis player ever to qualify for the semifinals of the year-end Masters. Hurkacz replaced the injured Stefanos Tsitsipas, stopped by back problems. The Pole honored his commitment, despite having no chance to advance in the event that brings together the best eight players of the season.
The crowd also played a role in the match between Hurkacz and Djokovic, supporting the Pole in the second set, before applauding and cheering Djokovic in the third and decisive set of the match. Sinner will compete for first place in the Green Group in the match against Rune, but will be able to play the match against the Dane with a different pressure.
Jannik Sinner rewrote Italian tennis history thanks this milestone
Sinner, it should be remembered, is not the only Italian to have qualified for the ATP Finals. Before him, three of his countrymen participated in the Masters.
Adriano Panatta and Corrado Barazzutti failed to win a single match in the editions played in Stockholm in 1975 and New York in 1978 respectively. Four years ago in London, Matteo Berrettini achieved the first singles victory for an Italian tennis player in the prestigious end-of-year tournament reserved for the best tennis players in the Race.
After losing to Djokovic and Roger Federer, Berrettini managed to overcome Dominic Thiem in two sets. The first ever Italian success at the Finals actually came in doubles, thanks to the pair formed by Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli, capable of beating the Indian Rohan Bopanna and the Romanian Florin Mergea with a score of 6-4, 1-6, 10-5, in 2015.
The goal achieved by Sinner does nothing but confirm the constant growth of the young tennis player. No Italian has won more matches than Sinner in a single season in the Open Era: the 22-year-old number 4 in the ATP ranking has already won 59.