For the eighth time in his career, Novak Djokovic will end the year as world number 1. The Serbian is mathematically assured of this since his victory 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, Sunday evening, in Turin (Italy), against the Dane Holger Rune, during his entry into the Masters. Whatever the outcome of the last tournament of the season, his runner-up, the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, can no longer catch up.
“Djoko”, 36, had already finished at the top of the ATP rankings in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020 and 2021. If he already held the record in this area since 2021, the Serbian, winner of three of four Grand Slams of the year (Australia, Roland-Garros and US Open), added another to his long list: he will become the first player to reach 400 weeks on the throne of world number 1.
On the French side, Ugo Humbert, up three places to 20th, consolidated his status as French number 1, by climbing into the Top 20 for the first time in his career, on the strength of his victory on Saturday at the ATP 250 tournament. from Metz. Adrian Mannarino, with his title gleaned in Sofia, climbed three places to 22nd position. At 35, he returned to the best ranking of his career, reached for the first time in 2018.
Sunday evening, Djokovic had to hold on to win, in more than three hours of play, against Rune, 20, who pushed him to his limits and nervously to the point of breaking two of his rackets with an angry kick.
“This match was important for me, there were a lot at stake, that’s also why I felt a lot of emotion,” analyzed the Serb. (…) He hit the ball well, he served excellently, he really caused me problems. (…) From the first game, I felt that it was going to be a long match and that he could beat me,” admitted the world number 1.
19th victory in a row
Recently advised by former tennis player Boris Becker and winner of two of his four previous duels against Djokovic, Rune had no complexes about his first participation in the Masters, which brings together the eight best players of the year. The Dane may regret not having completed the second round more quickly.
In this set, he led 2-0 and offered himself a first set point at 5-4. If he equalized with one set everywhere, inflicting a scathing and rare 7-1 in the tie-break, which had not happened to Djokovic since the 2016 Australian Open, Rune paid for his profligacy with energy in the decisive round, where he let his opponent quickly take off.
Djokovic, who signed his 19th victory in a row on Sunday, will be able to turn to his second objective of the week: winning the masters tournament for the seventh time, which would be another record.
This will have to come through a victory against Jannik Sinner on Tuesday, in an atmosphere that promises to be incandescent. On Sunday, the Italian, 4th in the world, swept aside the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, winner of the event in 2019, in straight sets 6-4, 6-4.
