"Novak Djokovic going to steady the ship" - Nick Kyrgios backs the Serb to beat Jannik Sinner in ATP Finals final

Nick Kyrgios has backed Novak Djokovic to beat Jannik Sinner in the final of the 2023 ATP Finals on Sunday, November 19.

Kyrgios, currently working as an analyst for the Tennis Channel, believes that the Serb will overcome his previous defeat to the Italian in the round-robin stage and claim his seventh title at the prestigious year-end event.

Djokovic has already ensured he will finish the year as the World No. 1 for a record-extending eighth time. At the ATP Finals, he was drawn in the Green Group along with Stefanos Tsitsipas, Jannik Sinner, and Holger Rune. Tsitsipas was later replaced by Hubert Hurkacz following the Greek's withdrawal in the second round-robin-match against Rune due to a back injury.

Sinner stunned Djokovic in their second round-robin match, winning 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-6(2). However, the 36-year-old bounced back from that loss and secured his spot in the semifinals by defeating first alternate Hurkacz 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-1.

He then faced former World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, who topped the Red Group that featured Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, and Andrey Rublev. Djokovic showed his experience by dominating Alcaraz, winning 6-3, 6-2 in under two hours. That improved his ATP Finals record to 49-18, and helped him reach his ninth final at the tournament.

Sinner, on the other hand, won all of his round-robin matches. He then defeated World No. 3 Medvedev in a three-set thriller, 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-1, in the semifinals.

Kyrgios said he was impressed by Djokovic’s performance against Alcaraz, and predicted that the Serb would learn from his mistakes in the first match against Sinner and adjust his game accordingly.

"I think I'm gonna go with Novak. I was really eager to see his performance today against Alcaraz to see how he was feeling. But after today's performance, I'm gonna safely say Novak. I think he's gonna steady the ship. He's gonna understand what he didn't do right the first time," Kyrgios said on air.

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A look into Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic's head-to-head record

Novak Djokovic at the 2023 ATP Finals

Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have faced each other four times in their careers, with the latter leading the head-to-head 3-1. However, Sinner has shown that he can challenge the World No. 1, as he defeated him in their most recent encounter at the 2023 ATP Finals.

Their first encounter was at the 2021 Monte Carlo Masters, where the Serb won 6-4, 6-2, in the second round. They then faced each other in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.

That match was much more competitive, as Sinner took the first two sets 7-5 and 6-2. However, Djokovic showed his resilience and experience, as he came back to win the next three sets 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

The third time they met was in the semifinals of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. The World No. 1 showed his dominance on grass again, as he defeated Sinner 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4).

Their fourth and most recent encounter was at the 2023 ATP Finals, where they were drawn in the same group. Sinner pulled off a stunning upset, as he beat the Serb in three sets. That ended Djokovic's 19-match winning streak that stretched back to his Wimbledon final loss.