In front of fervent supporters in Turin, Jannik Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets on Sunday, 7-6 (7/4), 7-5, to maintain his ATP Finals championship and cap off a difficult season in the greatest manner imaginable.
In addition to his triumphs at the Australian Open and Wimbledon earlier this season, Italian Sinner surprised the audience by winning the eagerly awaited title match.
The World Anti-Doping Agency acknowledged that the 24-year-old was unintentionally tainted with the prohibited chemical clostebol last year, but he also recovered from a three-month suspension that severely impacted his season.
Win After Win
Since losing to Novak Djokovic in the 2023 championship match at Turin’s Inalpi Arena, Sinner has now won 31 straight games on indoor hard courts. Djokovic’s total from 2012 to 2015, which is the second-highest in the Open era but still falls short of John McEnroe’s record of 47, would be equal to four additional indoor victories.
He dominated the entire week in northern Italy and hasn’t dropped a set at the Finals since losing that final to Djokovic two years ago.
Sinner had the advantage over Alcaraz during the season, winning four of their six meetings, all at elite tournaments, and earning the year-end world number one spot. In contrast, Alcaraz now enters the Davis Cup following an incredible individual season in which he won eight tournaments and increased his Grand Slam total to six.
How did Sinner defeat Alcaraz?
Sinner and Alcaraz both easily made it to the final, but the title match was difficult, with each player having a solid serve up to a thrilling tie-break at the end of the opening set. After building up set point with a superb lob, Sinner seized the lead with a strong serve that Alcaraz could only hit wide.
But Sinner’s two double-faults in the second set handed Alcaraz the lead right away, resulting in a break of serve at the beginning. In game six, Sinner, who had not lost a service game during the competition, rallied the audience.
When Alcaraz missed the first championship point with a backhand, Sinner sobbed with delight and rejoiced with his family in the grandstand to the applause of the crowd.
