The final installment of the “Sincaraz” rivalry for 2025 went to Jannik Sinner.
The second-ranked Sinner beat the top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (4), 7-5 for the ATP Finals trophy Sunday in the sixth meeting this year, all in finals, between the two players who are dominating men’s tennis.
Sinner defended the title before his home Italian fans for only his second victory over Alcaraz this year after also beating the Spaniard in the Wimbledon final. Alcaraz still leads his career meetings with Sinner 10-6.
“It was an incredible season,” Sinner said. “To finish it this way, before my Italian fans, is very special for me.”
Alcaraz had already secured the year-ending No. 1 ranking and was contesting his first final at the event for the year’s top eight players.
“I’m really happy with the level that I played today, with the performance,” Alcaraz said. “I just played against someone that hasn’t lost a match on an indoor court since two years. I hope you’re going to be ready for next year because I will be ready. Hopefully playing more finals against you.”
Sinner added that he hopes they have “great, great battles ahead of us.”
The pair has met in the past three Grand Slam finals. Alcaraz beat Sinner in a fifth-set tiebreaker to win the French Open, Sinner gained a measure of revenge at Wimbledon, and Alcaraz again came out on top at the US Open.
They also clashed this year in the Italian Open final (won by Alcaraz) and the Cincinnati Open final (won by Alcaraz when Sinner retired due to illness).
Sinner also won the Australian Open — beating Alexander Zverev in the final — so he and Alcaraz each won two majors this year.
In all, Alcaraz has won six majors and Sinner has won four.
Sinner saved a set point at 5-6 in a tight first set with a big second serve that Alcaraz couldn’t return. Sinner took control of the tiebreaker by running down a drop shot and responding with a lob that led to an overhead put away.
“I’m extremely happy with how I handled the situation,” Sinner said of saving the set point.
Alcaraz had his right thigh treated by a trainer on two occasions and got it wrapped after the first set.
He broke Sinner’s serve in the opening game of the second set, but Sinner then evened it at 3-3.
Sinner got the crowd going again in the next game when he won a long rally and held his finger to his ear, signaling for more noise inside the Inalpi Arena. He broke Alcaraz again to close it out, falling to the court on his back in relief after the Spaniard missed a backhand wide.
Alcaraz led 28-25 in winners but also had more unforced errors 26-24.
Sinner said he wanted to improve his serve after the loss to Alcaraz at the US Open, and he led 8-5 in aces but also had five double-faults to Alcaraz’s none.
It was Sinner’s 10th straight win at the finals stretching back to his loss to Novak Djokovic in the 2023 final. What’s more is that Sinner hasn’t lost a set in that stretch.
Sinner also extended his winning streak on indoor hard courts to 31 matches.
In the doubles final, Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten beat Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski 7-5, 6-3.
The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.
