When Jannik Sinner defeated Holger Rune on Thursday evening, he did more than confirm Novak Djokovic’s berth into the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals. The Italian also gave the World No. 1 a chance to continue chasing the history books.
Djokovic is two victories from breaking a tie with Roger Federer for the most titles in tournament history. If the 36-year-old triumphs on Sunday, he will claim his seventh Nitto ATP Finals trophy.
Most Nitto ATP Finals Titles
| T1) Novak Djokovic | 6 |
| T1) Roger Federer | 6 |
| T3) Ivan Lendl | 5 |
| T3) Pete Sampras | 5 |
| 5) Ilie Nastase | 4 |
One year ago, aged 35, Djokovic became the oldest champion in the history of the event. He was five years older than the previous-oldest tournament winner, Federer (2011). Djokovic first emerged victorious at the season finale 15 years ago, in 2008, when it was known as the Tennis Masters Cup.
Djokovic is also trying to climb other Nitto ATP Finals leaderboards. He is currently tied with Bjorn Borg (16-6) for fifth in winning percentage at 72.7 per cent. With a 48-18 record at the event, he could climb past Boris Becker (36-13, 73.5%) to fourth on the list. Ilie Nastase (22-3, 88%) is in first.
Best Nitto ATP Finals Winning Percentage
| Player | Record | Winning % |
| 1) Ilie Nastase | 22-3 | 88% |
| 2) Ivan Lendl | 39-10 | 79.6% |
| 3) Roger Federer | 59-17 | 77.6% |
| 4) Boris Becker | 36-13 | 73.5% |
| T5) Novak Djokovic | 48-18 | 72.7% |
| T5) Bjorn Borg | 16-6 | 72.7% |
The Serbian can also become just the second player to reach 50 wins in tournament history. He has 48 after completing Green Group play with a 2-1 record. Federer is the tournament leader with 59 Nitto ATP Finals wins (59-17, 77.7%). Nobody else has more than 39 victories at the event (Ivan Lendl).
A victory this week would mark Djokovic’s seventh title of the season, which would lead the ATP Tour. He is currently tied with his semi-final opponent, Carlos Alcaraz, on six trophies in 2023.
Did You Know?
Djokovic has reached the championship match at the Nitto ATP Finals eight times. In 12 of his 16 appearances, he has advanced out of the group stage.
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