Shanghai: Jannik Sinner has made history by securing the ATP year-end No. 1 ranking, becoming the first Italian player to reach this milestone. His achievement follows a semi-final victory at the Shanghai Masters, ensuring he will hold this prestigious title at least until the season concludes.

Since the introduction of computerized rankings in 1973, Sinner is the first player from Italy to attain the World No. 1 spot in singles, marking a significant moment in the nation’s tennis history.

“It’s amazing. It’s something you dream of when you are a kid, just to reach No. 1. Now having the year-end, it’s also a different and special feeling. It means so much to me, obviously. This is something I could not accomplish without all the people I have around—my family and friends—and I owe a big credit to my team,” Sinner said.

At just 23 years old, Sinner is the 19th player ever to finish the year as World No. 1 and joins an elite group of four active players, including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Carlos Alcaraz.

The season started strong for Sinner with a victory at the Australian Open, and he has not looked back since. His fierce competition with Alcaraz for the year-end top spot has concluded with Sinner pulling ahead. He has claimed six ATP Tour titles this year, including his first major wins at both the Australian Open and the US Open, and is eyeing a seventh trophy in the Shanghai Masters final on Sunday.

With victories in Melbourne and New York, Sinner has become only the third male player in the Open Era to secure his first two Grand Slam titles in the same season, following in the footsteps of Guillermo Vilas in 1977.

Sinner started the year with an impressive winning streak, claiming his first 16 matches and currently holding a remarkable 64-6 record for the season. This performance matches his best wins total from last year, where he set the record for the most victories by a male player from Italy in a single season during the Open Era.

Entering the season with one ATP Masters 1000 title, Sinner has since added two more, triumphing in Miami and Cincinnati. He also secured wins at ATP 500 events in Rotterdam and Halle.

With his recent success at the US Open, Sinner joins the ranks of only four players who have won both the Australian Open and US Open on hard courts in the same year. The others are Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Mats Wilander.

Sinner has now held the World No. 1 ranking for 17 weeks and is set to continue building on his record.

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