ATP Halle: Jannik Sinner Thumps Tennis Icons Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal With a Tantalizing Feat as World no.1

Jannik Sinner has crossed a new milestone in the rising graph of his career. The young Italian reached the finals of the Halle Open just days after becoming the World No. 1 in tennis. The 22-year-old Italian defeated Zhang Zhizhen in straight sets and therefore proved that he had adapted to the new surface without giving a slight sign of struggle. However, besides standing just one step behind to clinch another title for the season, he also achieved a remarkable feat.

Sinner took the world no.1 crown on June 10, 2024. While the former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic was forced to withdraw from the French Open because of a meniscus tear, it gave the young Italian a better edge. This achievement made Sinner the first Italian player in the history of both the ATP and the WTA to claim the #1 spot.

What makes Sinner’s recent win over his Chinese rival even more meaningful is the fact that he managed to reach the final of his first tournament as the world’s top-ranked player. The accomplishment is something that even tennis legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal could not achieve despite attaining unmatched greatness in their legendary careers.

The Swiss tennis maestro was crowned world no. 1 for the first time in February 2004. On the other side, Rafael Nadal first claimed it in August 2008, but both of them had to take some time before making a notable impact. Federer and Nadal’s span as the world no. 1 lasted for years, with Federer holding the record for the longest period between his first and last days as No. 1 (14 years).

Looking at the Spaniard’s world No. 1 journey, he attained an unmatched feat by establishing his name as the only player to hold the top spot in three different decades. However, despite the different records, they still didn’t get to enjoy the mark hit by Jannik Sinner and other pros like Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and more.

Sinner’s ability to immediately take control over things added a new achievement to his rapidly growing portfolio. As he looks forward to being in a showdown against Hurkacz in the final, the world has eyes on him to see if he can take the title home and narrow down the list of pros who stand even. Besides the record, Sinner also solidified his win streak in ATP 500 events.

Jannik Sinner stands undefeated in the ATP 500 events

Jannik Sinner is set to take on Hubert Hurkacz in the title match of the ATP 500 tournament at the ongoing tournament in Germany. The 22-year-old Italian made his presence known to the world by maintaining a strong winning streak in ATP 500-category tournaments. His last loss in this category was at the same event last year when he had to retire during the quarterfinals against Alexander Bublik. Ever since then, the young Italian hasn’t given out even a single match in ATP 500 tournaments.

Sinner’s appreciable record includes 18 consecutive wins in this category. His streak is built out of the titles in Beijing in 2023 and the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna in the same year. Looking at his stats in the current season, he continued his dominance by winning the ATP 500 tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Having already traveled a long way in the ongoing tournament, the world no. 1 has added four more victories to his massive streak and is now aiming for another title.