Novak Djokovic received the trophy given to the player who ends the year at number one in the world rankings for the eighth time in his illustrious career on Monday.
Djokovic only needed one victory at the ATP Finals to ensure he remains at the top. What the holder of 24 career Grand Slam titles obtained on Sunday evening by defeating Holger Rune 7-6 (4), 6-7 (1), 6-3 in the curtain raiser of the tournament.
On Monday afternoon, ATP President Andrea Gaudenzi presented the prestigious trophy to the Serb. Djokovic then struck a pose in the company of his coaches, his physical trainers and his loved ones.
“It’s obviously the icing on the sundae, because finishing a season ranked number one in the world is every tennis player’s dream,” said the main interested party. This is the hardest thing to accomplish in our sport. There is nothing more difficult than winning Grand Slam tournaments and ending the year ranked number one in the world. »
The 36-year-old veteran had already surpassed Pete Sampras’ record for the longest reign (six years at world number one) two years ago.
Last year, Carlos Alcaraz won the trophy.
Djokovic, however, bounced back this year by winning three of four Grand Slam titles, and he was runner-up to Alcaraz at Wimbledon.
“It’s a huge success, and I’m very proud of this achievement,” Djokovic admitted.
He will now face local favorite, Italian Jannik Sinner, on Tuesday.
The first two tennis players from each of the two groups will advance to the semi-finals. There are no Canadians in this competition.