Jannik Sinner joins Djokovic and Federer on exclusive ATP Finals list after beating Zverev

According to OptaAce, Sinner has now become just the fourth player since 2000 to make three or more consecutive semi-final appearances at the ATP Finals. The only others are Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka.

Federer reached six straight semi-finals between 2002 and 2007, winning four times during that period. He then made seven consecutive appearances from 2009 to 2015 and added another three between 2017 and 2019.

Djokovic had a run of five consecutive semi-final showings from 2012 to 2016, a stretch that included four titles in a row. He later repeated this level of consistency with four more between 2020 and 2023.

Wawrinka reached three straight semi-finals from 2013 to 2015. Now aged forty, he’s still active on tour and recently came close to upsetting Lorenzo Musetti at the Athens Open.

How Sinner turned his serve into a major weapon

Sinner’s serve has become one of his biggest strengths in recent times, a far cry from the issues he had during his US Open final loss to Carlos Alcaraz.

On Wednesday, he made 71% of his first serves and won 83% of those points. He also fired 12 aces and didn’t face a single break despite Zverev having seven chances.

Zverev also put up solid numbers, landing 83% of his first serves and winning 72% of those points. But it was Sinner’s ability to come through on key points that made the difference.