Jannik Sinner beats Carlos Alcaraz and retains the ATP Finals title in front of his home fans

The final part of the ‘Sincaraz’ rivalry for 2025 went to Jannik Sinner.

Second-ranked Sinner defeated top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (4), 7-5 on Sunday for the ATP Finals trophy in the sixth meeting this year between the two players who dominate men’s tennis.

Sinner defended the title in front of his Italian home fans and recorded only his second victory over Alcaraz this year, having also defeated the Spaniard in the Wimbledon final.

“It was an incredible season,” Sinner said. “To end it this way, in front of my Italian fans, is very special for me.”

Alcaraz had already secured the year-end No. 1 ranking and was competing in his first final at the event for the year’s top eight players.

Alcaraz still leads his career talks with Sinner, 10-6.

Sinner and Alcaraz met in the last three Grand Slam finals. Alcaraz defeated Sinner in a fifth-set tiebreak to win the French Open; Sinner got a measure of revenge at Wimbledon; then Alcaraz again came out on top at the US Open.

They also met this year in the final of the Italian Open (won by Alcaraz) and the final of the Cincinnati Open (won by Alcaraz when Sinner retired due to illness).

“I hope you’re ready for next year because I’ll be ready to hopefully play more finals against you,” Alcaraz said during the awards ceremony.

To which Sinner added that he hopes there are “big, big battles ahead of us.”

Sinner also won the Australian Open – beating Alexander Zverev in the final – so he and Alcaraz each won two majors this year.

In total, Alcaraz has won six majors and Sinner four.

Early in the first set, the pro-Sinner crowd chanted the usual “Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole; Sinner, Sinner.’

One fan even held up an image of Sinner, depicted as a saint.

Sinner saved a set point at 5-6 in the tight first set with a big second serve that Alcaraz could not return. The Italian then took control of the tiebreak by using a drop shot and responding with a lob that led to an overhead serve.

“I’m extremely happy with the way I handled the situation,” Sinner said of saving the set point.

Alcaraz added: “He came up with a second serve of 185-190 km/h (115-118 mph) which surprised me.”

Alcaraz had his right thigh treated twice by a trainer – and had it wrapped after the first set.

“It honestly didn’t affect me that much because I could run well,” Alcaraz said.

Alcaraz broke Sinner’s serve in the opening game of the second set, but Sinner then leveled the score at 3-3.

Sinner then got the crowd going again in the next match when he won a long rally and held his finger to his ear – signaling more noise at the Inalpi Arena.

Sinner broke Alcaraz again to close the deficit when the Spaniard missed a backhand wide and then fell on his back on the court in relief.

“It was a huge emotion,” said Sinner, who was suspended for three months earlier this year after settling a doping case.

Alcaraz led 28-25 in the winners, but also made more unnecessary mistakes, 26-24.

Sinner said he wanted to improve his serve after losing to Alcaraz at the US Open and he led 8–5 in aces but also suffered five double faults to Alcaraz’s zero.

It was Sinner’s tenth straight win in the final, dating back to his loss to Novak Djokovic in the 2023 final. What’s more is that Sinner hasn’t dropped 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 defeated Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski 7-5, 6-3.