Former world primary Novak Djokovic beat Casper Ruud for a record-equalling sixth ATP Finals title.
The 35-year-old Serbian overcame his Norwegian opponent 7-5 6-3 in Turin on Sunday.
Victory for Djokovic within the season-ending occasion caps a yr wherein he was pressured to overlook two majors due to his reluctance to take a Covid-19 vaccination.
He final received an ATP Finals title in 2015 and has matched Roger Federer’s mark.
Djokovic took the most important pay cheque in tennis, value $4,740,300 (£3.985m), for going by way of the match unbeaten.
Having sealed the success with certainly one of 9 aces within the match, he stated the seven-year watch for the title made the triumph “even sweeter”.
“It feels deeply satisfying and, on the identical time, an enormous reduction due to the circumstances that I’ve been by way of this yr, conditions earlier this yr, in fact, with Australia,” added Djokovic.
“That had an impact clearly on my begin of the yr. For the primary a number of months, I used to be looking for that steadiness game-wise but additionally mentally so as to have the ability to come again to the courtroom and discover that tennis degree that I would like.
“I do not know what the long run holds however I do know that what I maintain in my thoughts is a big starvation nonetheless to win trophies.”
Ruud, 23, made two poor errors handy the 21-time main winner the break within the first set.
Having received the opener, Djokovic then took management and broke his opponent’s serve within the fourth sport of the second set.
Ruud continued to battle and compelled the veteran right into a 36-shot penultimate rally, however Djokovic was stronger and closed out the match with a strong ace.
It marked one other remaining defeat for the Norwegian who was runner-up at each the French Open and US Open.
However Ruud stated: “General, in the event you gave me the supply to finish the yr at quantity three, play the finals that I’ve performed, on 1st January this yr, I might in all probability signal the contract instantly. Little doubt about it.”
It was additionally a profitable day for Britain as Joe Salisbury received the boys’s doubles occasion with American associate Rajeev Ram.
The US Open males’s doubles champions beat Croatian pair Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic 7-6 (7-4) 6-4.
