Jannik Sinner delivered a masterful performance to defend his Nitto ATP Finals title, edging out world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(4), 7-5 in a high-stakes showdown before an electrified home crowd in Turin on Sunday. The 24-year-old Italian, ranked No. 2, overcame intense pressure from his Spanish rival, saving a crucial set point and rallying from a break down to secure the victory in two hours and 15 minutes. This triumph not only capped Sinner’s remarkable 2025 season but also marked just his second win over Alcaraz this year, underscoring the duo’s dominance in men’s tennis as they collectively claimed all four Grand Slams and 14 tour titles.
Sinner’s composure under the lights of the Inalpi Arena, fueled by raucous Italian support, showcased his growth as a champion. He joined elite company as one of only three players—alongside John McEnroe and Boris Becker—to win multiple ATP Finals titles on home soil, becoming the ninth man in history to defend the year-end crown consecutively and the youngest to do so since Roger Federer in 2004. Alcaraz, who had already clinched the ATP Year-End No. 1 honors earlier in the week with a flawless 3-0 round-robin record, reached his first-ever ATP Finals final but couldn’t breach Sinner’s baseline fortress in this latest chapter of their gripping rivalry.
The match highlighted the “Sincaraz” era’s intensity, with both players trading heavy groundstrokes and moments of brilliance on the indoor hard courts. Sinner extended his unbeaten streak indoors to 31 matches—dating back to a loss against Novak Djokovic in the 2023 final here—while improving to 10-0 across his last two ATP Finals appearances without dropping a set all tournament. For Alcaraz, the defeat was a narrow setback in a year where he won eight titles, including two majors, but it left him motivated for future clashes.
Key Moments from the Final
The opening set unfolded as a baseline battle royale, with both competitors serving sharply and defending tenaciously from the outset. At 2-2, Alcaraz faced break point at 40/40 but escaped with a pinpoint backhand laser down the line that just clipped the paint, drawing applause from the crowd and a nod of respect from Sinner. Sinner responded immediately in the next game, whipping a stunning backhand winner off his shins at full stretch, which ignited the arena into chants of “Ole, Ole, Ole, Sinner, Sinner” and set the tone for his aggressive play.
As the set progressed to 5-4 in Alcaraz’s favor, the Spaniard called for a medical timeout to treat an upper right thigh issue, which was later taped but didn’t visibly hinder his movement—he insisted post-match that it only affected him minimally, allowing him to run freely. Alcaraz earned set point with a clever forehand drop shot followed by a punched volley winner, putting Sinner under severe pressure at 5-6, 40/Advantage. But the Italian stayed ice-cool, firing a 117 mph second serve into Alcaraz’s body that the Spaniard couldn’t return, forcing a tiebreaker.
In the tiebreak, Sinner elevated his game with two jaw-dropping lobs the first chasing down a drop shot from Alcaraz and replying with a high-floating lob that set up an overhead smash, and the second a precise lob that landed just inside the baseline, lifting the roof off the Inalpi Arena. He converted his first set point with a 105 mph forehand winner and a wide-angled serve, taking the set 7-6(4) and shifting momentum decisively.
The second set began with a shift in atmosphere as Alcaraz broke Sinner for the first time all week, capitalizing on two double faults from the Italian to lead 1-0. Sinner, however, showed resilience, getting a fortunate break back when a framed return inexplicably dropped in on break point, followed by a textbook drop shot that Carlos Alcaraz couldn’t reach, leveling the score at 3-3. Sinner then dialed up his first-serve percentage, landing 70% compared to Alcaraz’s 62%, and used his powerful groundstrokes to pin the Spaniard back.
In the closing games, Sinner’s aggression paid off as he earned a final break at 6-5 when Alcaraz netted a backhand under pressure from a deep forehand rally. Serving out the match, Sinner held firm despite the tension, closing with an ace to seal the win. He immediately fell to his back on the court in exhaustion and relief, then rose to cup his ear to the roaring fans, soaking in the moment. Statistically, Alcaraz led in winners 28-25 but edged more unforced errors 26-24, while Sinner held an 8-5 ace advantage but committed five double faults to Alcaraz’s zero—small margins that defined the high-quality encounter.
The Sincaraz Rivalry Heats Up
This final was the sixth meeting between Sinner and Alcaraz in 2025, all in championship deciders, with Alcaraz now leading their career head-to-head 10-6 overall. Sinner’s victories this year—at Wimbledon and now the ATP Finals—provide crucial momentum, especially after Alcaraz’s wins in the French Open (in a five-set tiebreaker thriller), US Open, Italian Open, and Cincinnati (where Sinner retired ill). Their Beijing final earlier in the season was another epic, lasting three hours and 21 minutes, where Alcaraz ended Sinner’s 26-match winning streak.
The rivalry traces back to their junior days but exploded in 2025, with the pair’s contrasting styles—Alcaraz’s explosive athleticism and variety versus Sinner’s flat, penetrating power—producing some of tennis’s most memorable matches. Sinner’s Australian Open triumph over Alexander Zverev gave him two majors for the year, matching Alcaraz’s haul at Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows, bringing Sinner’s Grand Slam total to four and Alcaraz’s to six. Beyond majors, their clashes have defined the tour, with Sinner noting post-match that facing Alcaraz demands “your best tennis every time,” while Alcaraz praised Sinner’s return game as one of the world’s elite, rivaling even Djokovic.
Looking ahead, both expressed eagerness for more “great battles,” with Alcaraz vowing to return stronger in 2026 after Sinner’s undefeated indoor run since his 2023 loss to Djokovic. This matchup has already surpassed many historic rivalries in frequency and quality, positioning Sinner and Alcaraz as the sport’s new torchbearers in the post-Big Three era.
Sinner’s Dominant Season
Sinner’s 2025 campaign was nothing short of phenomenal, finishing with a 58-6 record and six titles that solidified his status as a generational talent. Starting the year at the Australian Open, he dropped just one set en route to beating Zverev in the final, marking his first major and launching a title streak that included Beijing, Vienna, Paris Masters (where he reclaimed No. 1 briefly), and now back-to-back ATP Finals crowns. His Paris victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets not only netted him $1.4 million but also highlighted his mastery on indoor surfaces, where he swept Rotterdam, two Turin events, Vienna, and Paris without a loss.
The Italian’s season was not without challenges; a three-month doping suspension earlier in the year tested his resolve, but he returned stronger, contributing to Italy’s Davis Cup successes and maintaining an 88.2% win rate at the ATP Finals—the highest in history, surpassing Ilie Nastase. Career-wise, since turning pro in 2018, Sinner has amassed 23 singles titles, a 316-86 win-loss record, and over $51.5 million in earnings, all while rising from a ski enthusiast in South Tyrol to a global star. This Finals win earned him a record $5,071,000—the largest payout in tournament history—and he left Turin unbeaten all week, 5-0, without conceding a set. Sinner reflected on the season’s intensity, crediting his team and the home crowd: “Celebrating this trophy after such intense months is the perfect ending”.
Alcaraz’s Year-End Triumph Despite Loss
Carlos Alcaraz’s path to the final was a testament to his consistency, sweeping his Lleyton Hewitt Group with victories over Djokovic, Zverev, and Lorenzo Musetti—the latter clinching his year-end No. 1 ranking for the second time in three years. Entering the tournament as world No. 1, the 22-year-old Spaniard went 3-0 in round-robin play before defeating Casper Ruud in the semifinals, showcasing his all-court game and mental toughness. Despite the final loss, Alcaraz expressed satisfaction with his performance: “I played at a great level against someone unbeaten indoors for two years—it’s a well-deserved win for him”.
Alcaraz’s 2025 stats were equally impressive: a 71-9 record, eight titles including the French Open (avenging his 2024 final loss to Sinner) and US Open (another five-set epic over Sinner), plus wins in Madrid, Rome, Queen’s Club, and more. His prize money from 2024 alone exceeded $19.7 million, building on a career of four majors since turning pro in 2018. The thigh issue in the final was minor, he clarified, allowing him full mobility, and his 28 winners underscored his offensive flair, even if unforced errors proved costly. Alcaraz’s first ATP Finals final appearance ends a season of twin supremacy with Sinner, setting up an anticipated 2026 rivalry.
Doubles Final Highlights
The doubles competition provided an equally compelling finale, with second seeds Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten defeating the British duo of Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski 7-5, 6-3 in just 81 minutes to claim their maiden ATP Finals title as a partnership. The Finn-British pair, who stunned as an unseeded team at the Australian Open earlier in 2025, dropped only four points on serve in the first set and saved multiple break points before breaking Salisbury at 6-5 with a brilliant backhand down the line from Patten.
In the second set, Heliovaara’s volleying prowess and Patten’s net instincts secured an early break, extending their head-to-head edge over the British pair to 3-2. Salisbury and Skupski, the 2021 and 2023 doubles finalists, mounted a fightback, saving two match points, but Heliovaara and Patten closed it out with three aces, including a 128 mph serve from Heliovaara. This victory capped a stellar year for the duo, who also won the Paris Masters and beat top seeds like Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in the semifinals. It marked the first British doubles team in the final since their own 2023 appearance, but Heliovaara and Patten’s composure and tactical variety proved decisive in front of the Turin crowd.
