Jannik Sinner Beats Alex de Minaur in 1st Round of ATP Finals

Jannik Sinner defeated Alex de Minaur in straight sets at the ATP Finals.
Jannik Sinner defeated Alex de Minaur in the first round of the 2024 ATP Finals.
Jannik Sinner defeated Alex de Minaur in the first round of the 2024 ATP Finals. / Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

Not only did Jannik Sinner enter his first match of the ATP Finals as a heavy favorite, but he was also the hometown hero. The Italian superstar enjoyed incredible fan support throughout his match against Alex de Minaur.

The one-seed Sinner was too powerful for the seven-seed de Minaur, who lost in straight sets: 6-3, 6-4. Luckily for de Minaur, the Group Stage is round-robin style, and he has not been eliminated.

Sinner tallied 19 winners and 20 unforced errors, while de Minaur had seven winners and 21 unforced errors. Sinner's serve was sharp as he made 85% of his first attempts and 100% of his second shots.

When asked what was his favorite part about playing in Italy for the first time this year, Sinner responded, "It has to be the crowd. The energy. I love playing at home. It’s a huge, huge honor for me. I was just looking forward to it. I didn't play Rome. My first match in Italy this year. The welcome was very warm. It was amazing."

Today was the first time tennis fans have seen Sinner in action at an ATP event since the Shanghai Masters. The World No. 1 took part in the Six Kings Slam exhibition and pulled out the Rolex Paris Masters at the last moment.

Sinner faces Taylor Fritz in his second Group Stage match on Tuesday, November 12. Meanwhile, de Minaur plays Daniil Medvedev (who lost to Fritz in spectacular fashion today) on Tuesday as well.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.