- Novak Djokovic (ATP 8) beats Casper Ruud (ATP 4) in Turin 7: 5, 6: 3 and is crowned champion of the ATP Finals.
- The Serb has the game under control at all times and strikes ice cold in the crucial moments.
- Thanks to his 6th triumph at the end of the year, Djokovic draws level with record holder Roger Federer.
For various reasons, Novak Djokovic may only have started the ATP Finals as world number 8. However, the number on paper belies the true balance of power, as the year-end tournament in Turin made clear. The 35-year-old also showed dominance in the final against Casper Ruud like in his best days and didn’t really give the Norwegian a chance.
“Big Points” almost exclusively to the “Djoker”
The start of the final was balanced. Djokovic presented in each case, Ruud followed suit. So the first break chance was delayed until the 8th game. Ruud was able to prevent the service breakthrough with a service winner for the time being. When trying to force the tie-break, Djokovic’s pressure on the two-time Grand Slam finalist from 2022 became too great. The Serb forced Ruud to make a mistake after an exhausting rally and thus not only secured the first break, but also the first set.
The starting set won then allowed Djokovic to play even more freely. The 21-time major champion hardly made any mistakes and let his opponent run a lot. Ruud rarely found a way to get out of trouble. And so the Norwegian had to give up his service a second time in the second round with the score at 1:2. Ruud couldn’t get a single breakball himself. After 1:32 hours, Djokovic celebrated his first title at the ATP Finals since 2015.
Level with Federer
Djokovic’s first triumph in Turin means that Roger Federer is no longer the sole record winner of the year-end tournament. Like the “Maestro”, who retired in autumn, the “Djoker” is now at 6 titles at the ATP Finals.
In addition to the record prize money of 4.7 million US dollars, Djokovic can also look forward to an upgrade in the ATP ranking. As of Monday, the Serb will be listed as world No. 5. And in the coming year, Djokovic is aiming to return to the tennis throne as soon as possible. Since he was only able to score points in one of the 4 Grand Slam tournaments in the ending season, his prospects for 2023 look rosy.