Jannik Sinner’s Remarkable Climb to the Final of Rotterdam 2024 ATP and His Rise to the Third Spot in the Rankings
The 22-year-old Italian tennis sensation, Jannik Sinner, has soared to the final of the Rotterdam 2024 ATP tournament, consequently elevating to the third place in the global ranking. Currently the world’s fourth-ranked player, Sinner triumphed over the Dutch player, Tallon Griekspoor, with a score of 6-2, 6-4 in just 1h22′ in the semifinal match. The final will see Sinner competing against Alex De Minaur, an Australian player who ranks fifth in the draw. De Minaur defeated the Bulgarian player Grigor Dimitrov, seeded sixth, with a score of 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinal. Interestingly, Sinner has an impressive record of 6-0 in head-to-head matches against De Minaur, the most recent victory being in last year’s Davis Cup final.
Sinner’s Rise in the Ranking
With today’s victory marking Sinner’s 14th consecutive win between 2023 and 2024, the Australian Open champion surpasses the Russian player, Daniil Medvedev, in the ranking. This new ranking will be officially announced on Monday 26th February, placing Sinner third in the global ranking led by the Serbian player, Novak Djokovic, followed by the Spanish player, Carlos Alcaraz. This ranking can become official earlier on Monday 19th February, should Sinner triumph in Rotterdam.
When asked about his new ranking, Sinner expressed his excitement, saying, “Will I be number 3? It means a lot for me and for all of Italy. The most important thing, however, is to move Italian tennis in the direction of letting many kids play, of being an example. In the end it’s just a number. Today I have raised the level, it was the best match of the tournament to date and let’s hope it gives me more confidence for tomorrow”.
Sinner is the second Italian ever to reach this milestone after Nicola Pietrangeli who, in the rankings drawn up without the aid of computers, was number 3 in the world at the end of 1959 and at the end of 1960. Sinner reached this milestone at the age of 22 years and 6 months. The youngest top 3 in history are Andre Agassi (18 years, 6 months and 8 days), Bjorn Borg and Boris Becker (both 18 years, 6 months and 17 days), Rafael Nadal (19 years) and Carlos Alcaraz (19 years and 4 months).
A Detailed Synopsis of the Match
Sinner, the number 1 seed in the Netherlands, is just a step away from securing the 12th title of his career. He dominated the first set of the match, with two breaks ensuring a swift advance towards the 6-2 end of the first set.
In the second set, the dynamic of the match changed. Griekspoor, who required the intervention of a physiotherapist, was fully engaged in the match but missed opportunities to gain the lead. At the end of the match, Griekspoor’s performance was marred by his failure to utilize 6 break points. At 4-4, Griekspoor’s game faltered, falling to 0-40 and ultimately sealing his fate with a double fault that handed Sinner the break. Sinner seized the opportunity, winning the final with a score of 6-4.
