Despite missing out on the year-end number one ranking, Sinner said there could be “no better ending” to 2025.
A successful year on court saw him add two Grand Slam titles to his collection, including a maiden win at Wimbledon, and reach all four major finals.
He missed three months of the season to serve a doping ban, but still collected six titles – the second-best run of his career – after reaching the finals in 10 of the 12 tournaments he entered.
This latest victory extends his prolific record at the end-of-season showpiece, where he has not lost a match since being defeated by Novak Djokovic in the 2023 final.
Sinner becomes only the fourth player to successfully retain the men’s singles title this century, joining Lleyton Hewitt, Roger Federer and Djokovic.
All signs point to more dominance from 22-year-old Alcaraz and 24-year-old Sinner in the new year, and more matches at this high level can only be good for the sport.
After the first eleven games came and went without a break point, Sinner was forced to save the set point with a huge second serve.
He then dominated the tiebreak, taking advantage of a series of backhand errors from Alcaraz and executing some sharp lobs to close out the first set.
His usually reliable serve faltered in the opening game of the second, with a pair of untimely double faults earning Alcaraz, who was wearing a bandaged right thigh after receiving treatment earlier in the match, an early break.
However, Sinner hit back with a break of his own in the sixth game before saving a break point in the seventh to keep the set on serve, sending the crowd into a frenzy with every point he won.
With Alcaraz serving to stay in the match in the 12th game, Sinner forced deuce with a down-the-line backhand before falling to the ground as successive errors from his opponent confirmed the Italian’s successful title defense.
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