The 2025 season ended with yet another chapter in the rapidly growing rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. The two young stars have transformed their matchups into some of the most anticipated events in men’s tennis, meeting in three consecutive Grand Slam finals and producing a memorable Roland Garros showdown earlier in the year. Their final battle of the season took place at the ATP Finals, where Sinner prevailed 7–6(4), 7–5 in a high-quality contest that reflected how far both players have come.
Sinner entered the match as the slight favorite based on his recent indoor form, and he fully justified those expectations. The result not only gave him the title but also added another historic milestone to his record-breaking season. With this victory, Sinner became the youngest player since Roger Federer in 2004 to successfully defend the ATP Finals crown. He also won the event for the second straight year without dropping a single set, a feat previously achieved only by Ivan Lendl in the 1980s.
One of the most impressive achievements is Sinner’s indoor winning streak. The Italian extended his run on indoor hard courts to 31 consecutive victories, dating back to the end of the 2023 season. Including the final tournament of 2025, he closed the year with 15 straight wins and a level of confidence that few players on tour could match.
The match itself was full of tactical adjustments, tight moments and razor-thin margins. As in many of their encounters, key points decided the outcome. Alcaraz has spent much of the season refining his ability to manage intensity and pacing, learning when to attack aggressively and when to hold back. Sinner, meanwhile, has spoken openly about his goal of becoming more unpredictable and adding more variety to his game. Both approaches were visible throughout the final.
One of the biggest turning points came in the first set. On Sinner’s serve, facing set point, the Italian delivered a remarkably powerful second serve, clocked nearly 20 km/h faster than any other second serve he had hit in that game. Later, on the tiebreak at 1–1, he again opted for an aggressive second serve. Alcaraz clearly did not anticipate such a shift, and Sinner’s unpredictability paid off.
Serving was a particularly important area for Sinner, especially after the US Open final earlier in the year, where his difficulties on serve contributed to his defeat. In Turin, he returned to a level he last showed at Wimbledon, consistently hitting his spots under pressure. Although Alcaraz became the only player during the tournament to break Sinner’s serve, the Italian’s overall accuracy and timing on serve proved decisive.
Variety also played a key role. On the first-set tiebreak, Sinner won two critical points using exceptionally well-executed defensive lobs, demonstrating the finesse he has been working to add to his baseline power.
For Alcaraz, the match hinged on small margins as well. His backhand, typically one of his most reliable shots, faltered at crucial moments. Two backhand errors in the first-set tiebreak proved costly, and later in the match, his left-side volleys repeatedly missed their targets. Late in the first set, Alcaraz took a medical timeout due to a thigh issue and returned with tape for the second set. While the injury did not completely determine the outcome, it affected his explosiveness, and an Alcaraz who cannot fully unleash his speed is not the same force.
For Sinner, the final represented a significant psychological test. He carried the weight of defending the title, the expectations of a home crowd and the history of his rivalry with Alcaraz. He responded with a level of calmness and discipline that defined his entire season, winning the title without losing a single set.
Alcaraz, despite the defeat, ended the tournament with a major accomplishment of his own: he secured year-end world No. 1 and now moves on to the Davis Cup. Both players leave 2025 having elevated their rivalry into one of the defining narratives of modern tennis, setting the stage for an even more dramatic 2026 season.
