We’ve been working towards this moment for a while.
From their respective titles as emerging talents at the Next Gen ATP Finals to their Grand Slam sweeps of the past two seasons, it all comes down to this momentous Sunday when world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and No. 2 Jannik Sinner face each other for the first time in the title match of the Nitto ATP Finals (6 p.m. CET/12 p.m. ET) at the Inalpi Arena in Turin.
As if to emphasize their dominance, Alcaraz and Sinner dropped a total of thirteen games in their respective resounding semi-final victories on Saturday over Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alex de Minaur.
Alcaraz will look to cap his season by adding a personal-best ninth title – and first at the season finale – just three days after becoming ATP Year-End No. for the second time. 1, presented by PIF awards, claimed. But he knows he won’t be handed anything on Sunday.
“It’s great opposite Jannik,” Alcaraz said looking ahead to the final. “If it was anyone else I wouldn’t mind to be honest, but it’s great. I have to play my plan A if I want to beat him, if I want to win the tournament. We will both take our level to the top, which is great for the fans and the crowd.”
Sinner, who was last ranked No. 1 for a week after winning the Rolex Paris Masters, looks to become an undefeated champion for the second year in a row by winning his tenth consecutive match in Turin and extending his indoor winning streak to 31 matches.
And all this is set against the backdrop of the most compelling Lexus ATP Head2Head series, a series that is already showing the potential to evolve into a series on par with all-time great rivalries like Borg-McEnroe, Sampras-Agassi, Federer-Nadal and Djokovic-Nadal.
After Alcaraz won four of the previous five meetings this year, Sinner will enjoy the offseason even more as he ends 2025 with a meaningful piece of revenge in front of passionate home fans.
But don’t count on Alcaraz to give the home favorite a thumbs-up in what promises to be an epic showdown that is expected to add an exclamation point to a memorable 2025 ATP Tour season.
Most meetings between current or former number 1s in a season…
| Meet | Players | WL | Year |
8 | Djokovic vs Federer | 5-3 | 2015 |
7 | McEnroe vs. Lendl | 6-1 | 1984 |
6 | Djokovic vs Nadal | 3-3 | 2013 |
6 | McEnroe vs. Connors | 6-0 | 1984 |
6 | Bail against Connors | 6-0 | 1979 |
6 | Alcaraz against sinner | 4-1* | 2025 |
* | Sunday 6th meeting |
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At 24, Sinner is the youngest player to reach three consecutive title matches in the Nitto ATP Finals since Lleyton Hewitt (23) in 2004. After playing all 40 service games this week, Sinner joins Novak Djokovic (2018) as the only player to reach the final without being broken (since records were kept in 1991). The Italian last surrendered his serve (only once) to Ben Shelton in the quarter-finals of Paris.
Sinner is also looking to reduce the significant 5-10 gap in career talks with the Murcia-born player. Here’s a look at their five meetings in 2025…
Winner | Event | Scoring |
Alcaraz | US open | 62 36 61 64 |
Alcaraz | Cincinnati | 5-0 ret. |
Sinner | Wimbledon | 46 64 64 64 |
Alcaraz | R-Garros | 46 67(4) 64 76(3) 76(10-2) |
Alcaraz | Rome | 76(5) 61 |
Asked in the press after his 7-5, 6-2 victory over De Minaur in the semi-final about the prospect of playing Alcaraz in the final, Sinner showed respect for Auger-Aliassime by making measured comments about the possible dream final against the Spaniard.
“First of all, I’m happy to be able to end my season here, another final. It’s been a great year for me. I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” he said.
“These are matches I’m looking forward to. Also to see where my level really is, but at the same time it’s great to have this match before the off-season.”
Longest winning streaks on indoor hard courts
| Player | Stripe | Years |
John McEnroe | 47 | 1978-1987 |
Novak Djokovic | 35 | 2012-15 |
Roger Federer | 33 | 2004-07 |
Ivan Lendl | 32 | 1980-83 |
Jannik Sinner | 30 | 2023-25 |
Roger Federer | 29 | 2010-12 |
You have to go back to their first meeting at the 2021 Rolex Paris Masters to find the only time Alcaraz and Sinner have played hard indoors. The Spaniard won that match 7-6(1), 7-5. He has also won seven of their nine matches on hard courts, including most recently a four-set US Open final.
How Alcaraz handles Sinner’s first serve – and how aggressive he is on the second serve – could be key in Sunday’s meeting.
If Sinner plays to his strengths, he will focus on first-strike tennis against his great rival. According to TDI Insights data, Sinner has won 57 percent of rallies between 0-4 shots against all opponents this season, significantly better than Alcaraz’s 53 percent clip. Sinner enjoys a similar advantage in extended rallies of nine or more tricks.
Alcaraz’s sweet spot is in the 5-8 shot range, where he has won 57 percent of points against all opponents this year, while Sinner has won 54 percent of those rallies.
Alcaraz’s 71 wins surpass his previous best of 65 wins and six titles in 2023 and put him well behind Sinner (57), De Minaur (56) and Zverev (55).
Most Tour Level Wins in 2025…
Carlos Alcaraz | 71 |
Jannik Sinner | 57 |
Alex de Minaur | 56 |
Alexander Zverev | 55 |
Taylor Fritz | 53 |
Alcaraz wants to become the first player since Andy Murray in 2016 to win nine titles in one season. At the time, the Brit defeated Novak Djokovic in the title match of the Nitto ATP Finals, when the year-end No. 1 seed was a winner-take-all final showdown.
After beating Auger-Aliassime 6-2, 6-4 in the semi-finals, Alcaraz now aims to become the first Spanish winner since Alex Corretja pulled off a surprise victory in 1998 and the third Spaniard overall (also Manuel Orantes in 1976).
- Jon Jeraj conducted research for this article.
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