JANNIK Sinner closed out the 2025 season by defending his ATP Finals title, defeating top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (4), 7-5 on Sunday (Monday, Nov. 17, 2025, PH time) in their sixth meeting of the year.
The win gave the world No. 2 his second victory over Alcaraz in 2025, adding to his Wimbledon triumph.
It also capped a season in which the two dominated men’s tennis, splitting the four majors: Sinner won the Australian Open and Wimbledon, while Alcaraz claimed the French Open and U.S. Open. Alcaraz finished the year as the No. 1 player and now leads their career rivalry 10-6.
The pair have met in the last three Grand Slam finals and also clashed in the Italian Open and Cincinnati finals, both won by Alcaraz.
“I hope you are going to be ready for next year because I will be ready to hopefully play more finals against you,” Alcaraz said during the awarding ceremony. Sinner replied that he hopes they have “great, great battles ahead of us.”
Backed by a raucous home crowd in Turin, Sinner erased a set point at 5-6 in the opening set with a big second serve, then controlled the tiebreak with aggressive court coverage. “I’m extremely happy with how I handled the situation,” he said. Alcaraz said the 185–190 kph second serve “surprised me.”
Alcaraz received treatment on his right thigh twice and had it wrapped after the first set, but said it “didn’t affect me too much.” He broke early in the second set before Sinner leveled at 3-3. Sinner surged late, egging on the crowd before breaking serve again and sealing the match when Alcaraz pulled a backhand wide.
The Italian fell to his back in relief. “It was a huge emotion,” said Sinner, who earlier in the year served a three-month ban after settling a doping case.
Alcaraz finished with more winners, 28-25, but also more unforced errors. Sinner, who focused on improving his serve after losing to Alcaraz at the U.S. Open, led 8-5 in aces but hit five double-faults.
The victory extended Sinner’s unbeaten run at the season-ending event to 10 matches, all in straight sets, and pushed his indoor hard-court winning streak to 31.
In the doubles final, Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten defeated Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski 7-5, 6-3. / FROM THE WIRES