Jannik Sinner narrowly misses out to Nadal and Djokovic as Alcaraz watches on with envy

Jannik Sinner has narrowly missed out on joining Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in an elite club after winning the Shanghai Masters. The 23-year-old cruised to a straight-sets victory over Djokovic in Sunday's final to maintain his impressive form in 2024.

Sinner began the year in style by winning his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. He went on to pick up a Masters 1000 title in Miami before reaching the semi-finals of the French Open, where he was beaten by eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.

At Wimbledon, the Italian was dumped out by Daniil Medvedev in the last eight before he was forced to miss the Olympics due to illness. He returned to winning ways at the US Open and claimed another piece of silverware in Shanghai last weekend.

Sinner's emphatic victory over Djokovic confirmed that he will finish the year at the top of the ATP rankings. Only two players have locked in the No 1 spot quicker than Sinner, with Nadal achieving the feat in record time before Djokovic surpassed him in 2015.

Nadal won three Grand Slam titles in 2010, securing glory at the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. It allowed him to wrap up the year-end top spot in September, a record which stood until it was beaten by Djokovic five years later.

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