Jannik Sinner retains his ATP Finals title by defeating Carlos Alcaraz (as narrowly as planned)
Jannik Sinner dominated Carlos Alcaraz (7-6, 7-5) in the ATP Finals final in Turin. He became only the second player in history to win the title two consecutive years without dropping a set, completing two perfect indoor seasons.
Jannik Sinner, ATP Finals 2025 | © Alpozzi/LaPresse/Shutterstock
When he saw Carlos Alcaraz’s backhand drift into the alley, Jannik Sinner collapsed on his back as if he had won a Grand Slam, and the Inalpi Arena erupted as if Juventus had just won the Champions League.
In 2 hours and 15 minutes of high-intensity tennis, the Italian controlled his great rival Carlos Alcaraz – who will nevertheless keep his world No. 1 ranking – by capitalizing on the tiny margins both leaders of world tennis mutually allowed each other (7-6, 7-5).
The Italian has just strung together victories in the two most prestigious indoor tournaments in the world, the Rolex Paris Masters and the ATP Finals, without dropping a set across ten matches. This follows a previous success in Vienna (ATP 500), where he battled hard to defeat Alexander Zverev (3-6, 6-3, 7-5).
The Details That Crowned Sinner
One must look at the fine details for the reasons that allowed Sinner to swing this match in his favor. While the contest had moments of high spectacle, the pressure also led to unexpected errors (49 unforced errors against 54 winners).
The first reason is Sinner’s realism. Two break points, two breaks. One came to immediately de-break when Alcaraz led 3-1 in the second set after having broken to start the set. The second came to extinguish the possibility of a second tie-break, forcing Alcaraz to yield in the money time of the second set.
The second reason is Sinner’s serve. An absolutely key weapon all week, it proved less decisive in the final. However, despite a rather low first-serve percentage (55%), Sinner did not buckle at the most critical moments. The Australian Open and Wimbledon winner claimed 71% of his service points (first and second combined) compared to 68% for Alcaraz. He won 6 more points than Alcaraz overall while hitting 8 aces, and he was broken just once.
That service game lost at the start of the second set was the only one Sinner conceded throughout the entire tournament. He looked momentarily distracted after clinching the first set in a 1 hour and 19-minute effort finished with the tie-break, during which he was just one point from losing – saving a set point with a second-serve on Alcaraz’s backhand at 6-5. At 3-3 in the second set, Alcaraz earned another break point but let it slip with an overly aggressive and imprecise forehand.
Sinner and Alcaraz in (Almost) Every Final
The third factor that comes to mind is the tape placed on the Spaniard’s right thigh. Alcaraz had called for a medical time-out at 5-4 in the first set and may have occasionally lacked the crucial split-second of execution speed needed to withstand a player who takes the ball as early as Sinner.
This match concludes a year where, since the clay-court season, Alcaraz and Sinner have dominated tennis like no other duo before them. They were the only players to qualify for all three Grand Slam finals and the ATP Finals championship match, the four greatest tournaments available.
They also contested two of the three possible finals at other simultaneous events (Rome and Cincinnati, Alcaraz failed at the Paris Masters). “I hope you will be ready in 2026, because I certainly will be,” Alcaraz smiled during the trophy ceremony. That is welcome news, as there is certainly no fatigue surrounding these athletes, especially not between them.
“You are a great source of motivation,” Sinner said during the presentation. “I need this. All the fans are very happy to see you play. You’re the most energetic player on tour. Keep going. I wish you best of luck. I hope great, great battles still await us.” That is a very high probability.
