By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Photo credit: Erste Bank Open Facebook
Jannik Sinner rides a 21-match indoor hard-court winning streak into Paris.
Tennis is a numbers game, but there’s one number Sinner says is out of reach this season: Regaining world No. 1.
Meeting the media in Paris ahead of his opening-round clash vs. Zizou Bergs, Sinner said it’s “impossible” for him to surpass Carlos Alcaraz as year-end world No. 1.
“It’s impossible. Honestly, I’m not thinking about this at the moment,” Sinner said of attaining year-end No. 1. “It’s going to be a goal for next year. This year it’s not in my hands. Let’s say it like this.
“But considering how the whole year went, you know, we have achieved some incredible things. Now I just want to finish the season the best possible way. If I can do something great, amazing. If not, I did something great already this year.”
Given Alcaraz’s shocking first-round Rolex Paris Masters loss to Cameron Norrie today, Sinner may be thinking the impossible is now possible. Alcaraz’s leads Sinner by just 740 points in the ATP Live Rankings now with Sinner launching his quest for a maiden Paris title coming off his second Vienna championship in the last three years.
Six-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz and Sinner made Open Era history becoming the first men to square off in three consecutive Grand Slam finals. Sinner said dethroning Alcaraz to win Wimbledon is his 2025 highlight so far and points to defending his ATP Finals championship before home fans in Turin next month as his top priority for the rest of this season.
“If you ask me in that scenario, I would respond you to winning Wimbledon [was the highlight]. But in the same time has been an incredible season, making, you know, four Grand Slam finals,” Sinner said. “Many, many great matches I played throughout the whole season. The season is not over yet.
“A tournament I’m looking forward to is still Turin. Last year was an incredible run there. So we try to prepare ourself in the best possible way there. But, you know, before this, there is an important tournament what I haven’t played last year, which is here. I never played well here. So, you know, hopefully I can change couple of things this year. Then we see how it goes.”
Sinner did not drop a set en route to the ATP Finals championship last November, a tremendous run that propelled him to start 2025 defeating Alexander Zverev to defend his Australian Open crown.
“You know, talking about the general season has been amazing,” said Sinner, who has reached finals in eight of 10 tournaments this season. “Very, very consistent. A lot of wins. So, yeah, I couldn’t have, you know, asked for more, for sure.”
