Jannik Sinner beat Novak Djokovic for the third time in a row, this time getting the better of the 24-time Grand Slam champion in the final of the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Sunday, 7-6 (4), 6-3.
And with that, Sinner, who had won his last two encounters in the Davis Cup final late last year and at the Australian Open earlier this year, became the first player to beat Djokovic three times in a row in over a decade.
Rafael Nadal was the last man to achieve this feat with victories at Roland Garros, Montreal and the US Open in 2013.
And there’s more.
The Italian, born in 2001, becomes the first born player Since Djokovic will beat Djokovic three times in a row– so not just born since 2000 or even since 1990, but since Djokovic himself was born on May 22, 1987.
He is the sixth player to beat Djokovic three times in a row, after Roger Federer, Nadal, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Andy Murray and Andy Roddick, but all were born before Djokovic.
Murray comes closest, having been born exactly one week before Djokovic, on May 15, 1987. Nadal was born in 1986, Tsonga in 1985, Roddick in 1982 and Federer in 1981.
PLAYERS TO BEAT DJOKOVIC MORE THAN 3 TIMES IN A ROW (at tour level):
~ Nadal : 5x (2008-2009), 3x (2007), 3x (2008), 3x (2012), 3x (2013)
~ Federer : 4x (2006-2007), 3x (2010)
~ Roddick : 4x (2009-2010)
~ Tsonga : 4x (2008-2009)
~Murray : 3x (2008-2009)
~ Sinner: 3x (2023-2024)
More to come…
