Jannik Sinner puts on a clinic against Casper Ruud in returning to ATP Finals title match

Jannik Sinner looks like a man who won’t be denied at this year’s Nitto ATP Finals after returning to the Turin championship match without dropping a set.

On Saturday evening, the world No. 1 overwhelmed Casper Ruud, 6-1, 6-2, to line up a rematch with Taylor Fritz. Earlier in the week, Sinner dispatched the American No. 1 in the round robin stage with a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

Sinner came out firing like he has all season long, winning 12 of the opening 15 points. He ended a physical 26-shot rally with a perfectly blocked forehand lob that Ruud applauded to set up a pair of early break points. Two blistering forehands quickly secured the 2-0 advantage for the home favorite.

A patient Ruud neutralized a key rally in the fifth game, before unloading a 99 m.p.h. forehand winner up the line to arrive at 15-40. Sinner saved both break points at the net and targeting his opponent’s backhand, a shot that let the Norwegian down when he had an open crosscourt pass on his second chance to get back on serve.

After captivating with plenty of firepower, Sinner’s defensive capabilities flummoxed Ruud. His opponent ultimately went on a 10-point run en route to securing a dominant one-set lead.

Ruud went bigger on his first serve in the second set, winning the first 11 points. But he couldn’t prevent Sinner from going on the offensive when he had to land a second serve. The two-time major winner curled an unplayable crosscourt forehand to break for 3-2 and soon had the commanding 68-minute victory in hand by reeling off the final five games with a range of explosive shot-making.

The 23-year-old has played 75 matches this season, winning all but six of them. Sinner moved to 16-5 in 2024 against Top 10 opponents, as he chases an eighth title from nine finals contested. Last year, he finished runner-up here to Novak Djokovic.

Against Fritz, Sinner has taken three straight meetings that includes September’s US Open final. Earlier, Fritz battled past two-time event champion Alexander Zverev, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (3), to become the first U.S. man since James Blake in 2006 to reach the final.