Jannik Sinner’s 2024: A season to remember, with an asterisk to consider
It’s being spoken of in the same breath as some of the greatest individual seasons since the turn of the century. Like Roger Federer in 2006, Rafael Nadal in 2010 and Novak Djokovic in 2015. Such has been Jannik Sinner’s dominance this season that, at 23, he has convinced many that his game is nearly complete.
Some may say they saw it coming, for the Italian, despite never having made it past the semi-finals at a Grand Slam, had shown a rare and unmistakable brilliance even in his losses. But by having more titles to his name than losses this season, he’s made a statement – and then some.
On Sunday, Sinner delighted his home crowd in Turin by defeating American Taylor Fritz to win the ATP Tour Finals for the first time, having finished runner-up in the tournament last year. It capped off an incredible 10-month period that saw him win eight titles and achieve a staggering 70-6 win-loss record.
He triumphed in Rotterdam, Miami, Halle, Cincinnati, and Shanghai, and more importantly, became the first man after Federer and Djokovic to claim the three biggest hard court titles – the Australian Open, US Open and ATP Finals – in the same year.
A caveat through it all
However, throughout most of these glorious months, there remained a caveat. In March, Sinner tested positive twice for the banned substance Clostebol – an anabolic steroid that can enhance an athlete’s performance. He received a “no fault or negligence” verdict from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in August, but the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The story goes that Sinner was inadvertently contaminated by his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, who had applied Trofodermin to a cut on his own hand before giving massage treatments to the player without wearing gloves.
Sinner didn’t deny the traces of Clostebol found in his urine, and his explanation was accepted by all parties. However, unlike the ITIA, WADA doesn’t believe the player should bear no responsibility for the substance entering his system.
As far as the anti-doping agency is concerned, Sinner shouldn’t be stripped of his titles but deserves a ban of one to two years if he’s found guilty. It could be the second half of 2025 by the time CAS delivers their verdict, though.
Meanwhile, although the likes of Djokovic and Casper Ruud have spoken in support of Sinner, several of his peers – including Nick Kyrgios, Liam Broady, and Tara Moore – have suggested that the ITIA’s swift decision in favour of Sinner reeked of preferential treatment.
Marching forward
Even as debates around this controversy raged on, Sinner continued to grow stronger on court. He began the season ranked No. 4 but by June, he had become the first Italian man in history to reach the top spot. Now, he has an astounding lead of nearly 4,000 points.
At the start of this season, Sinner’s career record against Top 10 players stood at 22 wins and 27 losses. However, he turned this around in style, going 17-5 this year and winning 10 of his last 11 matches against Top 10 opponents.
His skills had always been undeniable, but at times – perhaps due to his inexperience – he was guilty of making the wrong choice in critical moments. He’s one of the cleanest strikers from the baseline, but with that comes the temptation to pull the trigger too early. This season, Sinner showed a sense of maturity far beyond his years, particularly in how he constructed points, remained composed under pressure, and embraced a more versatile approach to his game.
And it all came together in an utterly emphatic performance at the ATP Finals. Not only did Sinner become just the second man after Ivan Lendl (1986) to triumph without dropping a set, he also set the record for the fewest games dropped in a title run (33) since the tournament’s format changed in 2008.
“Jannik hits a faster ball than Novak; he doesn’t let you breathe,” said Ruud after his semi-final loss to Sinner. “At least with Novak, you can play more rallies and not be terrified of him ripping the ball like a bomb down the line or crosscourt or these things.”
Perhaps the only glaring blemish in Sinner’s season was the fact that he lost all three of his matches against Carlos Alcaraz, the other superstar of this generation. But it will hardly be a surprise if things change going forward.
“I actually believe there is still a gap of improvement,” Sinner said after his latest success in Turin. “There are still certain shots and points that I can do better, but these are small details. The higher you play level-wise, the more details make the difference. I’m always trying to improve as a player and trying to understand what I can do better.”
Sinner added that he will try to maintain this pragmatic approach as he chases similar successes next year. But with the CAS verdict impending, one can’t help but lament the predicament in which men’s tennis finds itself.
In 2024, Sinner broke through like few others had before him. However, there’s a chance this could be remembered as the season that never was, which would be entirely unfortunate.
