“If Carlos wins, it would be nice for tennis” – Sinner relishing prospect of maiden ATP Finals final

The Italian beat Daniil Medvedev to reach his first final at the season-ending event, with Novak Djokovic taking on Carlos Alcaraz in the day’s second semi-final

Jannik Sinner competes at the 2023 ATP Finals Zuma / Panoramic

Jamie Malachy

November 18, 2023

Nitto ATP Finals •Semi-final • completed

See draw

J. SinnervsD. Medvedev

Just moments after Jannik Sinner had reached the biggest final of his career so far, beating Daniil Medvedev in the process, the Italian’s thoughts had already turned towards tomorrow’s showpiece match.

While the rest of Italy has been swept up in the delirium of ‘Sinner Mania’, the young man at the centre of the whirlwind remains the epitome of serenity, comfortable in his own calm world right in the eye of the storm.

“Tough match for sure is coming up,” Sinner said in his post-match press conference following his excellent semi-final victory over Medvedev.

“Not so much time to enjoy this moment because tomorrow is going to be a really tough match. But I’m looking forward to it, no?”

Sinner to face Alcaraz or Djokovic in a titanic final

Sinner will take on either Carlos Alcaraz or Novak Djokovic in the final, who will face off in the day’s second semi-final.

Typically humble and respectful in his measured answers about other players, the current world No 4 was quick to emphasise that, regardless of who he’d face in the final, Sunday’s match would be a massive task.

“I’m careful about everything when I play against the No. 1 or the No. 2 in the world,” he explained.

“It’s huge privilege to be here in the final. I feel privileged to play against Novak or against Carlos.”

When pressed on what it would mean to potentially face his biggest rival Alcaraz in what will be the most important match of Sinner’s career up to this point, the Italian revealed that playing his fellow generational talent would be a special occasion.

"The crowd is giving me so much energy" 🔋#NittoATPFinals Finalist @janniksin on playing in front of the ADORING Turin crowd 💪 pic.twitter.com/e0877y7kVP
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 18, 2023

“I mean, if Carlos wins, would be I think nice for tennis, having two from different generation in the final. I played against him already sometimes. I think the matchup is really, really good. Usually we have always some interesting points, interesting moments.

“If I play against Carlos or if I play against Novak, they’re going to change couple of things. I have to be aware. I have to be very careful and intelligent to understand what’s going on on the court.

“If Carlos wins, would be nice because there are many things together in our matchup. But let’s see. He’s facing the No. 1 in the world today. Novak, he has been in the position so many times. He’s looking for history again in this tournament.”

History beckons on home soil for irrepressible Sinner

Sinner currently leads his head-to-head record with Alcaraz 4-3, having beaten the Spaniard in Beijing and at the Miami Open semi-finals this year. The pair have already played tennis matches against each other that will go down in history as some of the finest of all time, perhaps most notably in the 2022 US Open quarter-finals.

But whoever Sinner faces in Sunday’s final, it will be a spectacle to savour.

At this very tournament, he and Djokovic have already played arguably one of the matches of the year, as the Italian earned his first ever win over the 24-time Grand Slam champion. A rematch of that one would be a scintillating prospect.

For Sinner, however, the focus is on winning one more match to draw one last emphatic line under what has already been a truly superb season.

Whether it’s Alcaraz or Djokovic, Sinner will require one final monumental display to win the biggest title of his career in front of his increasingly delirious Italian fans.