Second-ranked Jannik Sinner beat top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (4), 7-5 for the ATP Finals trophy on Sunday in the sixth meeting this year 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 beating the Spaniard in the Wimbledon final.
“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. Alcaraz still leads his career meetings with Sinner, 10-6.
Sinner and Alcaraz have met in the last 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, then 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).
“I hope you are going to be ready for next year because I will be ready to hopefully play more finals against you,” Alcaraz said during the trophy ceremony. To which Sinner added that he hopes they have “great, great battles ahead of us”. Sinner had 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.
Already early in the first set, the pro-Sinner crowd chanted its customary “Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole; Sin-ner, Sin-ner.” 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 couldn't return.
Then the Italian 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 about saving the set point. “He came up with a second serve 185-190 kph (115-118 mph) that surprised me,” added Alcaraz.
Alcaraz broke Sinner's serve in the opening game of the second set but Sinner then evened it at 3-3. Sinner then got the crowd going again in the next game when he won a long rally and held his finger to his ear, signalling for more noise. Sinner broke Alcaraz again to close it out when the Spaniard missed a backhand wide, then fell down to the court on his back in relief. “It was a huge emotion,” said Sinner, who was banned for three months earlier in the year after settling a doping case.
Also read: Alcaraz wins US Open, rises to Number 1
Follow us
