World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz & ‘Favourite’ Jannik Sinner To Clash For ATP Finals Title

Carlos Alcaraz at the ATP Finals (AP)

Carlos Alcaraz stated on Saturday that Jannik Sinner is the favourite to retain his ATP Finals title at home, following the new world number one setting up a highly anticipated finale with his Italian rival in the prestigious season-ending tournament.

Alcaraz effortlessly defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-2, 6-4 in Turin to arrange the title match with Sinner, which tennis enthusiasts eagerly awaited after a series of thrilling encounters between the two this year.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner

The Spaniard holds a 10-5 record against Sinner and has won four of their five meetings this season, all in the finals of top-level tournaments.

Alcaraz secured victories in the US Open and Roland Garros finals, the latter coming back from two sets down and saving three match points, although he lost the Wimbledon final to Sinner.

He believes Sinner, who earlier defeated Alex de Minaur 7-5, 6-2, is the favourite to win the trophy on Sunday in front of his home fans.

“I mean, I’m the number one… and he’s playing the best on indoor court. We’re playing in front of his home crowd, so I would say he’s the favourite,” Alcaraz told reporters.

“Don’t want to believe it, but I would say he’s the favourite for tomorrow.”

Sunday’s final holds extra excitement as Alcaraz dethroned Sinner for the top spot in the men’s rankings at the end of 2025, contesting his 11th final of the season in front of a partisan Italian crowd.

“Well, I expect at least three or four people in the crowd cheering for me,” Alcaraz joked.

“Obviously the people are going to be cheering for him but I will try to be really, really focused on my game and on the things that I have to do.”

Canada’s Auger-Aliassime, an indoor specialist with seven of his eight titles won on indoor courts, could not handle Alcaraz, who took control of the match by breaking serve in the fourth game of the first set with a brilliant hooked volley.

Alcaraz easily secured a one-set lead with another break of serve and completed his victory without much difficulty, not needing to play his most spectacular tennis.

Sinner, yet to drop a service game, faces a tougher test against Alcaraz after racking up his 13th consecutive win over De Minaur.

“Honestly every matchup (with Alcaraz) is different. We saw it in Rome and Paris, even if it’s the same surface (clay), it can change,” said Sinner.

Sinner has won his last 18 sets played in Turin and is on a 30-match winning streak on indoor hard courts.

The 24-year-old has not lost a set at the ATP Finals since the 2023 final to Novak Djokovic, while De Minaur ends his year in a more positive mood than after losing to Lorenzo Musetti in the group stage.

De Minaur admitted to being in a “dark place” after that loss, which nearly cost him a place in the last four before he defeated Taylor Fritz to face Sinner on Saturday.

“I had a little shift in perspective. Of course, sitting here right now, I feel like I should have finished my Turin campaign having won two matches instead of one,” De Minaur told reporters.

De Minaur fought off two break points in the opening game of the semi-final but failed to convert any of the three he created in Sinner’s first service game.

The Australian resisted Sinner’s break attempts in the seventh and ninth games, but the second seed eventually broke through at 5-5 to snatch the first set.

Sinner surged ahead 4-0 in the second set before securing his ninth consecutive win at the tournament, becoming the youngest player since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004 to reach three finals at the season-ending event.

(With inputs from Agencies)