The Semifinals
Jannik Sinner vs. Alex de Minaur (7–5, 6–2)
Sinner entered the court with confidence and quickly overpowered the Australian. De Minaur put up a strong fight in the first set, saving seven break points, but Sinner clinched the set at 5–5 with a winner. The second set saw Sinner break twice to close the match efficiently. This was his 13th straight victory over De Minaur, who has yet to beat him in their ATP Head2Head meetings (13–0). Sinner also became the youngest player since Lleyton Hewitt (2004) to reach the ATP Finals final three years in a row.
Carlos Alcaraz vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime (6–2, 6–4)
Alcaraz displayed his full arsenal of skills against the Canadian. The first set highlighted his confidence and variety. Auger-Aliassime, one of the tournament’s surprises at 25 years old, was in excellent form but could not handle Alcaraz’s relentless attack. The Spaniard wrapped up the match in 1 hour and 23 minutes, earning his first ATP Finals final appearance and becoming the first Spanish player to reach the final since Rafael Nadal in 2013.
PUÑO EN ALTO Y A LA FINAL 💪
— Match Tenis (@MatchTenis) November 15, 2025
Carlos Alcaraz clasifica a su primera final en las ATP Finals, luego de vencer a Felix Auger-Aliassime por 6-2, 6-4 en la segunda semifinal en Turín ✅
😍 Este domingo se viene PARTIDAZO ante Jannik Sinner por el trofeo #ATPFinals pic.twitter.com/lEqkS3DRR0
The Final Showdown
On the evening of Sunday, November 16, the atmosphere inside a packed Inalpi Arena was electric. Fans sensed that something extraordinary was about to unfold as defending champion Jannik Sinner, 24, faced off against 22-year-old world number one Carlos Alcaraz. It was a rare matchup: the first time since 2016—when Andy Murray faced Novak Djokovic—that the top two ranked players met in a final. This year’s clash was even more historic, marking the first occasion in the Open Era that the top two seeds had contested all four Grand Slams and the ATP Finals.
The first set delivered one of the night’s tensest moments. At 5–6, Alcaraz held a set point that could have shifted the momentum entirely. But Sinner, unbeaten on indoor courts for the past two years, remained composed. With a blistering second serve clocked at 117 mph (about 188 km/h), he escaped danger. The tie-break was a spectacle: two exquisite, high-arcing winners electrified the crowd, and Sinner converted his first set point to seize the lead.
The second set started with a surprising twist. Two double faults from Sinner gave Alcaraz a break point, and the Spaniard capitalized, racing to a 2–0 lead. It appeared he might equalize the match. Yet the defending champion refused to falter. A fortunate shot that clipped the frame of his racquet, followed by a perfectly executed drop shot, allowed Sinner to break back, leveling the score at 3–3. From that moment, he maintained control and never looked back.
A Historic Achievement
Sinner’s victory was more than just a title defense, it was a demonstration of rare consistency and dominance. For the second consecutive year, he won the ATP Finals without dropping a set, a feat last accomplished by Ivan Lendl in 1986. His perfect 10–0 record across the last two tournaments now makes him the most successful player in ATP Finals history, with an 88.2% winning percentage, surpassing Ilie Năstase’s previous record.
The Italian star’s remarkable run extends further: 31 consecutive indoor wins. This streak began in 2023, after his loss to Novak Djokovic in the Turin final, and no one has stopped him since. During this period, Sinner claimed titles in Rotterdam, Turin (twice), Vienna, and Paris, and was instrumental in Italy’s two Davis Cup triumphs. If he secures four more indoor wins, he will tie Djokovic’s Open Era record of 35 consecutive indoor victories.
Carlos Alcaraz: Securing Year-End No. 1
Even though Alcaraz fell short in the final, the week was far from disappointing. On Thursday, November 13, after finishing the group stage undefeated with a 3–0 record—including a 6–4, 6–1 win over Lorenzo Musetti, he officially clinched the year-end world No. 1 ranking. This is his second time finishing the year at the top, following 2022, making him the 11th player in ATP history to achieve the feat at least twice.
At just 22, Alcaraz is the second youngest male player to finish the year as No. 1 twice, behind only Lleyton Hewitt, who was 21. By comparison, Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic were all 24–25 when they achieved this milestone for a second time.
The 2025 season was exceptional for Alcaraz. He captured eight tournament titles, his career-best for a single year. This haul included two Grand Slams (Roland Garros and US Open), three Masters 1000 events (Monte Carlo, Rome, Cincinnati), and three ATP 500 tournaments (Rotterdam, Queen’s Club, Tokyo), finishing with an impressive 71–9 record.
The tournament groups were divided into the Jimmy Connors Group, featuring Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, and Lorenzo Musetti, and the Björn Borg Group, consisting of Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton, and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The first major surprise of the tournament was Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal. The 24-time Grand Slam champion announced on November 8—less than an hour after winning the ATP 250 final in Athens—that a shoulder injury would prevent him from competing in Turin. This was the second consecutive year Djokovic missed the ATP Finals due to injury. His decision sparked debate, with critics questioning why he competed in Athens while injured. Musetti stepped in as a direct replacement.
Statistics, Trends, and Key Takeaways
Sinner’s Indoor Supremacy
Jannik Sinner’s indoor streak is extraordinary: 31 consecutive wins place him fifth on the all-time list, behind John McEnroe (47), Novak Djokovic (35), Roger Federer (33), and Ivan Lendl (32). If he continues at this pace, he could surpass Lendl and Federer in the near future.
Alcaraz vs. Sinner: “Big Titles” Rivalry
By the close of 2025, Alcaraz has accumulated 14 “Big Titles” (Grand Slam, ATP Finals, Masters 1000, Olympic gold), while Sinner has 11. This year, Alcaraz won five (Roland Garros, US Open, Monte Carlo, Rome, Cincinnati) compared with Sinner’s four (Australian Open, Wimbledon, Paris Masters, ATP Finals). On average, Alcaraz earns a Big Title every 3.9 tournaments, Sinner every 5.8—only Djokovic (3.3) and Nadal (3.5) have better ratios.
With Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic winding down their careers, the ATP is entering a new golden era. Alcaraz and Sinner are poised to take up the mantle and redefine what greatness looks like in modern tennis.
