We’re back with another edition of This Week in Tennis. Djokovic claims his 40th Masters title, and we finish the WTA Finals in Cancun.

This Week in Tennis – Djokovic Claims 40th Masters Title

On Sunday, Novak Djokovic claimed his 7th Paris Masters title and a record-extending 40th Masters title.

In the final, Djokovic motored through a resurgent Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets to remain the world number one.

At the beginning of the week, Djokovic looked understandably rusty. Besides not playing since US Open, the Serb also suffered from a stomach virus as detailed here.

In the round of 16, the Serb came from a set down against Tallon Griekspoor and fought valiantly past defending champion Holger Rune and in-form Andrey Rublev to reach the finals.

Even with Djokovic’s lack of tennis and virus, few would have bet against him to reach the final.

Dimitrov in great form

As for his opponent, many would have been surprised to see the slightly younger but still 32-year-old Grigor Dimitrov on the other side of the net.

Dimitrov, once tipped to be the next Roger Federer, was playing in his first Masters 1000 final since his triumph at the 2017 Cincinnati Masters.

Over his career, he’s shown glimpses of brilliance, whether winning the 2017 ATP Tour Finals or reaching multiple major semi-finals.

As good as these results are, many tennis fans and pundits have expected much more from the Bulgarian.

Injuries and inconsistency are probably the most significant reasons why Dimitrov hasn’t been able to live up to his potential.

This week, however, felt like a turning point.

He seems to have rediscovered himself and his game. This past month alone, the Bulgarian has defeated four top-ten players: Holger Rune, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas. There’s no fluke in that.

Djokovic outclassed him in the final but I don’t think he could have done much more.

One thing I hope Grigor takes from this final is that time is still on his side. Look at Djokovic—a 36-year-old, playing a minimal schedule but still managing to dominate the tour.

Yes, I know Dimitrov is no Djokovic, but the level of tennis he’s shown this week should give him the belief he still can rewrite his tennis career.

The WTA Finals Final is set.

The world number 2, Iga Swiatek, will take on world number 5 Jessica Pegula, as both players look to win their first WTA Finals title. This event has suffered from drama around bad weather and the poor court. Several players have complained and

Pegula has looked in formidable form all week. The American has defeated Rybakina Sabalenka, Sakkari, and Gauff all in straight sets with no easy feet.

Swiatek, on the other hand, has almost mirrored Pegula’s performances. The Pole is also undefeated, with zero sets dropped.

Looking ahead to the final, someone’s going to have to give. Their head-to-head doesn’t give much indication on who might take this win. Swiatek narrowly leads 5-3, but Pegula won their last meeting in Montreal before this year’s US Open.

Let’s not forget that if Swiatek wins, she will overtake Sabalenka and end the year ranked number 1.

I’ll give Swiatek the slight edge due to her big-match experience, but this final could go either way.

Prediction – Swiatek to win

This Week in Tennis

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