Novak Djokovic ended his "roller coaster year" on a roaring high with victory at the ATP Finals, matching Roger Federer's record of six titles by sinking the hopes of Casper Ruud.
The Serbian said he had spent the season "on the needles", his colourful way of describing the nervousness and discomfort he had experienced during a campaign which saw him prevented from playing in Australia and North America.
Djokovic, who has refused to take a COVID-19 vaccination, has seen his career suffer because of that firm stance. He was thrown out of Australia in January, a humiliating way to begin the year.
Yet there is little doubting the 35-year-old remains the pre-eminent player on tour heading towards the 2023 season, even with the rise of Carlos Alcaraz, who ends the year as world number one.
A first ATP Finals triumph for Djokovic came in 2008, and he then won four in a row from 2012 to 2015, and now he has carried off the trophy once more, plus a cheque worth $4.74million, the biggest prize ever paid out in tennis.
"Seven years, it's been a long time. At the same time, the fact I've waited seven years makes this victory even sweeter and even bigger," Djokovic said.
Speaking on Amazon Prime, Djokovic said the win after all he has gone through felt "huge".
"I probably talked about this season and how unusual it is 1,000 times prior to this interview, so I'm not going to repeat what most people who follow tennis know," he said.
"[It's] just a big relief and satisfaction, and also I look forward to having a couple of weeks off, because I've been on the needles the entire year, whether for tournaments or waiting for permissions to go somewhere, so I'm really glad I managed to end it in a positive way."
He is the oldest champion in the tournament's 53-year history, breaking a record held by Federer, who was 30 when he won in 2011.
Djokovic said it was "really, really impressive" for Ruud to have reached grand slam finals in Paris and New York, and the ATP Finals title match, in a stellar year for the 23-year-old Norwegian.
But Djokovic was ruthless in Sunday's final, emerging a 7-5 6-3 winner thanks to a break of serve in each set, earning a fifth title of his disrupted year following wins at Wimbledon, Rome, Astana and Tel Aviv.
Thanking his team and supporters during the trophy presentation for "going through some tough times" with him, Djokovic said there were moments where he had needed "a shoulder to lean on, a shoulder to cry on".
The 21-time grand slam winner added: "It's been a roller coaster year really, something I've never experienced ever before in my life, and only we know what we've been through."
Alcaraz begins Madrid Open campaign with emphatic win
Carlos Alcaraz continued his fine record at the Madrid Open with an emphatic 6-2 6-1 victory over Alexander Shevchenko on Friday.
The two-time defending champion made it 12 straight wins at his home tournament to ensure he will face Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild in the last 32.
Alcaraz was playing his first match on the ATP Tour since March 28 after being unable to compete in the Monte-Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open due to an arm injury.
But he was still able to make a fine start to his clay-court season, breaking serve in the first game and racing to victory in only one hour and eight minutes.
Data Debrief
Sometimes the scoreline can be harsh on a beaten player, but on this occasion Alcaraz was clearly dominant, breaking the Kazakh seven times in the match and forcing 11 break-point opportunities while conceding only three for his opponent.
That allowed the Spaniard to claim a dominant victory despite being broken once in each set. He will now turn his attention to a clash with Seyboth Wild, who battled past Lorenzo Musetti with a 6-4 6-4 win.
Reigning champion Sabalenka pushed by Linette at Madrid Open
Aryna Sabalenka got her Madrid Open campaign started with a 6-4 3-6 6-3 win over Magda Linette on Friday.
Sabalenka could not quite hit her peak form against Linette, but the world number two nevertheless got the job done after going the distance.
The Belarusian is hunting a record-equalling third title in Madrid, where she is the reigning champion, though she has not won back-to-back matches at a tournament since winning the Australian Open.
"It's not about being confident," Sabalenka said. "It's about how much you're ready to do to get it. It's about the hard work and to be ready, be ready for the big fights. I feel like confidence is not going to help you in those big matches. It's about staying there and fighting for it."
Data Debrief
Sabalenka (70 per cent, 56-24) is now one of five active players since 2020 to hold a winning percentage of 70 per cent or higher at WTA-1000 events.
Iga Swiatek, Simona Halep, Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula are the other players to feature on that list.
Rybakina continues clay winning streak with victory over Bronzetti
In-form Elena Rybakina has moved into the last 32 of the Madrid Open after a straight sets victory over Italian Lucia Bronzetti.
Number four seed Rybakina triumphed 6-4 6-3 on Friday and will next face either Marta Kostyuk or Mayar Sherif.
Rybakina was broken early in each set but ultimately had few problems getting over the line, converting four of her five break points to continue an impressive run of results after winning the Stuttgart Open last week.
She has now won five consecutive WTA matches and has 13 straight wins on clay courts to her name in a superb streak that started one year ago.
Data Debrief: Rybakina in elite company
Since the start of 2020, only two other players have claimed as many 13 consecutive WTA wins on clay, and they are Iga Swiatek and Simona Halep, so Rybakina is in elite company.
Rybakina's last defeat on this surface came in the 2023 edition of the Madrid Open, when she fell to Anna Kalinskaya in her first match, so this win represented a better start to her campaign in the Spanish capital.
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