Jannik Sinner joins exclusive club: Shanghai triumph achieves what Djokovic and Nadal couldn't

Jannik Sinner joined Roger Federer and three other legends after securing six hardcourt titles throughout the season. The Italian world No. 1 defeated Novak Djokovic in the final of the Shanghai Masters, becoming the 5th player aged 23 or younger to win six or more hardcourt titles in a single season.

What stands out about this record is that neither Djokovic nor Rafael Nadal achieved it, at least at that age. Sinner now has 7 titles this season, six of them on hard courts after triumphing at the Australian Open, Rotterdam, Miami, Cincinnati, US Open, and Shanghai. He also won a title on the grass courts of Halle.

In Djokovic’s case, he first lifted six hardcourt titles during his legendary 2011 season, one of the greatest in tennis history, when he claimed 10 titles. That year, Djokovic won trophies at the Australian Open, Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, Montreal, and the US Open, along with victories at Wimbledon, Rome, and Madrid.

Nadal, on the other hand, never achieved more than four hardcourt titles in a single season. His best record came in 2013, with titles in Indian Wells, Cincinnati, Montreal, and the US Open.

Winning six titles in one season is remarkable for any player. Sinner’s six hardcourt titles make him one of the youngest to reach this milestone, joining the ranks of tennis legends. The last to do so was Federer during his outstanding 2004 season.

Before Federer, Jimmy Connors (1973), Ivan Lendl (1981), and Pete Sampras (1994) had all won at least six hardcourt titles in a single season at age 23 or younger.

The current world No. 1 can also boast of being the youngest champion in Shanghai, surpassing Andy Murray, who first won the title in 2010 at 23 years, 5 months, and 2 days old. Sinner claimed the trophy at 23 years, 2 months, and 4 days, with a margin of almost three months compared to Murray.