Masters 1000 Shanghai – Jannik Sinner, Mr. 90%

Saturday, against a powerful Tomas Machac (6-4, 7-5), Jannik Sinner did what he knows how to do best these days. Earn. Victory has become such a norm for him that, as of October 12, he is already assured of finishing the year 2024 in first place in the world. Defeat is extremely rare for him. Not only this season, where he now has a record of 64 victories for 6 defeats in 70 matches. But we can even go back to the heart of summer 2023 to pinpoint the start of a pretty crazy series.

Because the Italian had already completed the previous campaign with a bang. It all started with his Masters 1000 title in Toronto. Then, despite a somewhat disappointing US Open (elimination in the round of 16 against Alexander Zverev), there was a title in Beijing, another in Vienna, a final at the Masters and a one-man show during the final phase. Davis Cup final. In total, he had completed 2024 by winning 26 of his last 30 matches.

Do the math: between 26-4 at the end of 2023 and 64-6 in 2024 so far, Jannik Sinner therefore displays an extravagant record over his last 100 matches played on the circuit: 90 victories, 10 defeats. 90% success on such a large sample is absolutely colossal. Not far, even, from a historical assessment. In any case, it can be compared to the most prosperous periods of some of the most illustrious champions who populated the Open era.

Novak Djokovic’s best season in this area remains his 2015 season, with 82 victories for 6 defeats. Or 93.2% victories. If we deviate a little from 2015, upstream and downstream, his statistics are more impressive since he finished 2014 with an 18-1 before starting 2016 with 28 victories in 29 matches. In total, from autumn 2014 to Roland-Garros 2016, the “Djoker” had won 127 matches out of 135, for a barely credible ratio of 94.1% of victories. Jannik Sinner is not there yet.

Roger Federer also experienced a statistical euphoria greater, in its scale and duration, than that of Sinner. We can start it at the end of 2003, with his first title at the Masters, and stretch it until the beginning of 2007, when he began his season with 18 consecutive victories before ‘incline. Which gives the following extravagance:

Fin 2003 : 5-0
2004 : 74-6
2005 : 81-4
2006 : 92-5
Start of 2007: 17-0

In almost 40 months (!), the Swiss has only been beaten 15 times, out of a total of… 284 matches. 94.7% wins. Not over one season, nor two, but more than three years. The period where, in Federer’s own words, which he will use in early 2008, he had “created a monster“.

If we stick not to the volume but to the percentage of victories, however, it is impossible to do better than the John McEnroe of the greatest era. The American signed what is undoubtedly the most exceptional season in history, in 1984 (82 matches won and only 3 lost). The brilliant American left-hander also finished 1983 almost perfectly (19-1) and started 1985 in an even more spectacular manner (29-1). Or five tiny defeats out of 135 matches: 96.3% victories. Never has anyone seemed to come closer on a tennis court to the definition of invincibility.

If Jannik Sinner has not yet quite reached these heights, the biggest challenge for him will not only be to further increase his winning percentage but above all to do so over an even longer period of time. He has for him his extraordinary floor level, below which he no longer seems to go down, regardless of his mood of the day. And since he never loses to players below 20th place again (the last time was in Cincinnati in August 2023, just before the start of this 100-match window mentioned above), his statistics are by definition very high.

Without being unprecedented, the 2024 season of Trentino is placed in a category of its own. With already two Grand Slam titles, two Masters 1000 (maybe three on Sunday) and six tournaments won in total. A boss’s journey for Mr. 90%.