TURIN, Italy. — This Sunday, the Italian Jannik Sinnersecond ranked in the world, beat the number one, the Spanish, 7-6 (4), 7-5 Carlos Alcarazin the final of ATP Finals trophyin the sixth confrontation this year between the two players who are dominating men’s tennis.
Sinner defended the title against his home Italian supporters, earning his second victory over Alcaraz this year after also beating the Spaniard in the Wimbledon final.
“It was an incredible season,” Sinner said. “Finishing it this way, in front of my Italian fans, is very special for me.”
Alcaraz had already secured the number 1 spot to end the season and was playing in his first final in the event for the top eight players of the year.
Alcaraz still leads his head-to-head matches with Sinner 10-6.
The triumphs are distributed
Sinner and Alcaraz have faced each other in the last three Grand Slam finals. Alcaraz beat Sinner in a fifth set tiebreaker to win the French Open; Sinner took revenge on Wimbledon; then Alcaraz won again in the US Open.
They also met this year in the final of the Italian Open (which Alcaraz won) and in the final of the Cincinnati Open (won by Alcaraz when Sinner retired due to illness).
“I hope you are ready for next year because I will be ready to, hopefully, play more finals against you,” Alcaraz said during the trophy ceremony.
To which Sinner added that he hopes they have “big, big battles ahead.”
Sinner also won the Australian Opendefeating Alexander Zverev in the final, so he and Alcaraz won two majors each one this year.
“Be, Be, Be, Be; Sin-ner, Sin-ner”
In total, Alcaraz has won six majors and Sinner four.
Early in the first set, the pro-Sinner crowd chanted their usual “Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole; Sin-ner, Sin-ner.”
One fan even held up an image of Sinner depicted as a saint.
Sinner saved a set point at 5-6 in the tight first set with a big second serve that Alcaraz couldn’t return. The Italian then took control of the tiebreaker by running towards the ball and responding with a lob that led to a shot.
“I’m extremely happy with how I handled the situation,” Sinner said of saving set point.
Twice his coaches treated Alcaraz’s right thigh, wrapping it after the first set.
Alcaraz broke Sinner’s serve in the opening game of the second set, but Sinner then tied it at 3-3.
Sinner got the crowd going again in the next game when he won a long rally and put his finger to his ear, signaling that he wanted more noise inside the Inalpi Arena.
Sinner broke Alcaraz’s serve again to close out the match when the Spaniard missed a backhand wide, then fell back on the court in relief.
“It was very exciting,” said Sinner, who was suspended for three months earlier this year after settling a doping case.
Game data
Alcaraz led 28-25 in winners but also had more unforced errors with 26-24.
Sinner said he wanted to improve his serve after the loss to Alcaraz at the US Open, and led 8-5 in aces, but also had five double faults to none for Alcaraz.
It was the Sinner’s 10th consecutive victory in the finalsgoing back to his defeat against Novak Djokovic in the 2023 final.
Furthermore, Sinner has not lost a set in that stretch.
Sinner also extended his indoor hard court winning streak to 31 matches.
In the doubles final, Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten beat Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski 7-5, 6-3.
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