ATP Finals: Tsitsipas Become Youngest Debut Winner in 41 Years

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London- On Sunday, Tsitsipas’ became the youngest player since John McEnroe 41 years ago to win the ATP Finals on his tournament debut.

The 21-year-old rallied past Dominic Thiem, who was also well supported, 6-7 (6-8) 6-2 7-6 (7-4) in two-and-a-half hours in London to cap a remarkable breakthrough season.

Tsitsipas had been a hitting partner for Austria’s Thiem at the tournament three years ago and on Sunday he took advantage of a second-set lapse from his friend, and mostly held firm on serve.

Tsitsipas in the final two sets remarkably tallied 20 winners and four unforced. He has beaten the “Big Three” of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and — twice — Federer, including in Saturday’s semifinals.

Unlike last year’s 21-year-old winner in London, Alexander Zverev, getting through a two-week grand slam has been too much so far for the younger guard to overcome, Tsitsipas has already reached a grand slam semifinal, in Melbourne.

Stefanos Tsitsipas expressed he would love to have the fan base of Roger Federer.

Tsitsipas ended 2019 with victories over Federer. In London, Tsitsipas’s game had no problem heating up where he was watched by dad Apostolos and another of his coaches, Patrick Mouratoglou who is best known for also working with 23-time grand slam winner Serena Williams.

In his final group match on Friday after nearly three-hour defeat to Nadal, Tsitsipas bounce back to flip over Federer saving 11 of 12 break points.

And he didn’t show any signs of weakening in the first set against Thiem, who had topped both Federer and Djokovic in group play.

Against Federer and Nadal, Tsitsipas saved a combined 18 of 21 break points and fended off both in the first set in the seventh game. Tsitsipas in the tiebreaks given his 33-12 record in breakers this year but he was never allowed to settle. Thiem never trailed and only once were they level, at 5-5. Tsitsipas saved a first set point at 5-6 but mis-hit a backhand at 6-6. Thiem ended the set by delivering a huge serve. Thiem’s errors allowed Tsitsipas to break to start the second set.