'At times, I couldn’t have played better': With ATP Finals win, Jannik Sinner finished a No. 1 season worthy of the Big 3

Novak Djokovic will play for a record-tying sixth Nitto ATP Finals trophy after winning the first semifinal in Turin over Taylor Fritz on Saturday afternoon.

The 21-time major champion edged the American, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6), to reach the championship match for the eighth time and first since 2018. The Serbian remained unbeaten against Fritz, improving to 6-0 in their head-to-head series. He's now won 13 of the 15 sets they've played, including all four tiebreaks.

"I was looking forward to being in this position. I'm very happy to be able to compete for another big trophy, one of the biggest ones that we have in our sport," Djokovic told press.

"So far a great week for me. Four out of four wins. Of course, the last match of the season, I'm going to give it all. I'm going to obviously try my best."

Djokovic is seeking his fifth title of the year, an achievement that would guarantee he ends the 2022 season inside the Top 5 despite missing two majors and receiving zero points for his Wimbledon triumph. If Casper Ruud defeats Andrey Rublev Saturday evening, that outcome will also clinch the year-end finish for Djokovic.

The 35-year-old, who is the second oldest finalist in tournament history (Arthur Ashe, 1978), is a combined 3-0 against Rublev and Ruud in Turin over the past two seasons. He dispatched the Russian, 6-4, 6-1, on Wednesday in a Red Group round-robin meeting.

For Fritz, his year isn’t over yet. He’ll look to help lead the U.S. to Davis Cup glory next week alongside Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Jack Sock when the knockout stage begins with the quarterfinals.