« You have two of three options, I went for the risky one » : how Sinner had the smallest details turning for him in the final
Jannik Sinner identified two key moments that swung the momentum in the final he won against Carlos Alcaraz (7-6, 7-5) : this set point save, and breaking back in the middle of the second set.
Jannik Sinner, ATP Finals 2025 | © Action Plus / PsNewz
Jannik Sinner believes his willingness to embrace calculated risk led to the “small details” that decided his tense 7-6(5) 7-5 victory over Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s ATP Finals title match, a contest the Italian star called an “advertisement for tennis.”
Sinner, who successfully defended his year-end championship title on home soil, remembers two moments of extreme pressure and courage that this two-set thriller hinged on.
The most dramatic moment came when Sinner faced a set point at 6-5 Alcaraz in the first set, on his own serve. After missing his first serve, he opted for a decisive, high-risk second serve out wide on his opponent’s backhand, which he ripped at 187 km/h to secure the point and eventually the set.
Sinner : “On my terms”
Explaining the gutsy decision, Sinner revealed it was based on pattern recognition. “I had already played two or three second serves in that game and had served the same way every time, and I lost the point every time,” he told reporters. “So I said, ‘I have to do something different.'”
“You have options, two or three. I went for the riskier one… rather than have him win it,” Sinner explained. “I said, ‘This is worth it,’ because I’d rather lose this point on my own terms. That was my thinking.”
The Italian identified two key moments that swung the momentum: this set point save, and breaking back in the middle of the second set when Alcaraz seemed to have the advantage.
I was lucky when I broke him back with the shanked return.
“The small margins are very, very small,” Sinner noted. “I was lucky when I broke him back with the shanked return. I also have to say that. But we both had our tactics clear in our mind.”
While the rivalry provides intense matches, Sinner views the competitive pressure as a crucial element of his success. “I believe every victory is special, but logically, because he is my first big rival, this is certainly even more special – to play in the final and win the match.”
The victory caps what Sinner called a “great, brutal season” that saw him win two majors, including Wimbledon for the first time. “These are two seasons, 2024 and 2025, that I want to remember for a very, very long time,” Sinner concluded. “We go back to work and try to play tennis as well as possible for the next year.”
