World No. 1 Jannik Sinner defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets to win the Shanghai Masters.

The Italian put in a dominant all-round performance, defeating the 24-time Grand Slam champion 7-6, 6-3 and claiming his seventh title of 2024.

The 23-year-old is the first man to win more than six titles in a calendar year since 2016, when Andy Murray won nine.

Sinner hit eight aces and 22 winners and didn't face a break point during the hour-long, 37-minute triumph over Djokovic, who was seeking his fifth Shanghai title.

The 37-year-old Serbian was also aiming for his 100th ATP Tour title, a milestone achieved in men's tennis only by Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103).

“It was of course a very tough game, playing against Novak is one of the biggest challenges we have,” said Sinner at the trophy presentation after the game.

“I am very happy with how I handled the situation. He served great in the first set, I couldn't break him. I played a really good tiebreak which gave me the confidence to start the second set well.

“It is difficult to reveal a secret about (Djokovic) because he has no weaknesses.

“You have to try to take advantage of the little chances he gives you, but there aren't many during the game. He is a legend of our sport, it is very difficult to play against him, so I am very happy.”

Last week, Sinner was guaranteed to finish the year as the No. 1 men's tennis player after his nearest rival Carlos Alcaraz defeated Tomas Machac in the quarterfinals in Shanghai.

This was Sinner's first tournament win since the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced it would appeal a decision to clear Sinner of responsibility for his two positive tests for a banned substance in early 2024.

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(Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)