Sinner beats Alcaraz to retain ATP Finals title

TURIN: Jannik Sinner claimed the final instalment of the “Sincaraz” rivalry for 2025, defeating world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (4), 7-5 to lift the ATP Finals trophy in Turin on Sunday. The title defence capped another standout season for the second-ranked Italian, who beat Alcaraz for only the second time this year, the other coming in the Wimbledon final.

“It was an incredible season,” Sinner said. “To finish it this way, before my Italian fans, is very special for me.”

The clash marked their sixth meeting of the season and continued what has become the defining rivalry in men’s tennis. While Alcaraz still leads the career head-to-head 10-6, Sinner’s win added another layer to a season in which the two have met in all three Grand Slam finals. Alcaraz edged Sinner in a fifth-set tiebreaker at the French Open, Sinner answered back at Wimbledon, and the Spaniard reclaimed the advantage at the US Open.

Their battles extended beyond the majors too. Alcaraz won their showdown in the Italian Open final and again in Cincinnati, where Sinner retired due to illness. Both players ended the year with two majors each: Alcaraz now has six in total, while Sinner has four.

On Sunday, the atmosphere in the Inalpi Arena overwhelmingly favoured the home favourite. Early chants of “Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole; Sinner, Sinner” echoed around the stadium, and one fan even held up an image of Sinner depicted as a saint. The Italian needed that energy in a tense first set, saving a set point at 5-6 with a bold 185–190 kph second serve that caught Alcaraz off guard. He then seized control in the tiebreak by chasing down a drop shot and setting up an easy overhead.

“I’m extremely happy with how I handled the situation,” Sinner said. Alcaraz admitted he was surprised: “He came up with a second serve that surprised me.”

Alcaraz received treatment on his right thigh twice and had it wrapped after the first set, though he insisted it did not affect his movement. He broke Sinner in the opening game of the second set, but the Italian clawed back to level at 3-3. Feeding off the crowd, Sinner signalled for more noise after winning a long rally, then broke again to seal the win when Alcaraz pushed a backhand wide. The Italian dropped to the court in relief.

“It was a huge emotion,” said Sinner, who earlier this year served a three-month ban after settling a doping case.

Despite hitting more winners (28 to 25), Alcaraz also finished with more unforced errors. Sinner, who had targeted improvements on his serve after the US Open, led the ace count 8-5 but also committed five double-faults.

The victory extended Sinner’s remarkable run at the ATP Finals to 10 straight wins, during which he has not dropped a set, and stretched his unbeaten streak on indoor hard courts to 31 matches.

In the doubles final, Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten defeated Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski 7-5, 6-3.