Novak Djokovic secured his eighth year-end world number one ranking after a hard-fought victory against Holger Rune in his ATP Finals opener. Despite a challenging match against the 20-year-old Rune, who is making his debut in the tournament, Djokovic emerged triumphant with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (1-7), 6-3 victory that lasted three hours and four minutes.

While Rune has proven to be a formidable opponent for Djokovic in recent meetings, the Serbian prevailed, maintaining his unbeaten streak since the Wimbledon final. Rune took an early lead with a break to go up 3-2, but Djokovic quickly responded, leading to a closely contested first set that ended in a tie-break, ultimately won by the top seed.

In the second set, Rune again broke ahead, securing a 2-0 lead, but Djokovic mounted a comeback, thwarting a set point at 4-5. Despite Djokovic’s frustration, including breaking two rackets, he managed to break Rune to lead 4-2 in the deciding set, sealing the victory.

Reflecting on the match, Djokovic acknowledged the tough challenge posed by Rune and described the win as emotional and significant. The victory ensures Djokovic’s pursuit of a record seventh ATP Finals title.

In an earlier match, Italian Jannik Sinner delighted the crowd with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas, taking a step closer to the semi-finals. Sinner, ranked world number four, qualified for the ATP Finals for the first time after a successful season that included four ATP Tour titles.