TURIN: Jannik Sinner spent his first rest day at the ATP Finals in Turin on Monday collecting the trophy for finishing the year ranked the No. 1 tennis player in the world. Sinner entered the season-ending event already assured of becoming the first Italian to top the ATP end-of-year rankings.

“It’s very special occasion to share that here in Italy,” he said. “I would like to thank you for the support around the world, to thank my team. Without the people who are close to me, who understand me as a person, who I am, it would be very difficult,” Sinner added, calling himself “very lucky”.

Sinner’s season has been dogged by controversy after he twice tested positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March. He was initially cleared by the International Tennis Integrity Agency but at the end of September the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed, seeking a ban of up to two years.

The Italian, who won his first match at finals on Sunday against Australian Alex De Minaur, succeeds Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, who finished the year as world No. 1 a record eight times. Boris Becker, who spent 221 days at No. 1 in 1991 but never ended a year on top, attended the presentation. He said that while “there are certainly Carlos Alcaraz and others, Jannik is going to be world No.1 for a long time.” — AFP