Tennis News

Sinner beats Alcaraz for Nitto ATP Finals crown, Big Titles battle heating up

Jannik Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the championship match of the Nitto ATP Finals on Sunday to move closer to his great rival in their Big Titles battle.

The Italian ended his season on a high note by toppling the ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF at Inalpi Arena for his second consecutive triumph at the season finale. It is Sinner’s 11th Big Title — a combination of Grand Slam championships, trophies at the Nitto ATP Finals and ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, and Olympic singles gold medals.

Sinner now trails Alcaraz by just three Big titles. Together, they claimed all four major trophies and the Nitto ATP Finals crown this season.

The 24-year-old became just the third player to win multiple Nitto ATP Finals titles on home soil. American John McEnroe claimed glory at the event three times in New York and German Boris Becker did so twice in Frankfurt.

Big Titles Won: Alcaraz & Sinner

Sinner is the ninth man to triumph at the year-end championships in consecutive years. This century, only Lleyton Hewitt (2001-02), Roger Federer (2003-04, 2006-07 and 2010-11) and Novak Djokovic (2012-15, 2022-23) have also accomplished the feat.

The Nitto ATP Finals is a tournament where Sinner has narrowed the gap to Alcaraz. He has seized the trophy twice in four appearances, while Alcaraz is still pursuing his first title at the prestigious event.

Sinner has won a Big Title for every 5.8 tournaments he has played in his career, passing Andre Agassi’s rate of emerging victorious once for every 6.1 events. Only Djokovic (3.3), Rafael Nadal (3.5), Alcaraz (3.9), Roger Federer (4.4) and Pete Sampras (4.9) have won the tournaments at a higher rate.

The Nitto ATP Finals champion closed his season by claiming the final two Big Titles of 2025, at the Rolex Paris Masters and in Turin. Sinner also won Big Titles this year at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

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It all adds up for Sinner at the Nitto ATP Finals, Italian defeats Alcaraz for title

Jannik Sinner successfully defended his Nitto ATP Finals title on Sunday in Turin, where he used the backing of a raucous Italian crowd to overcome his great rival Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(4), 7-5.

World No. 1 Alcaraz and World No. 2 Sinner have dominated the 2025 season, winning 14 titles between them, including all four majors. A season of twin supremacy deserved nothing less than a final act on the sport’s most electric indoor stage.

Under the lights, in a crackling atmosphere, Sinner delivered red-line tennis from first ball to last. The 24-year-old unloaded from the baseline with fierce pace and accuracy, mixing in flashes of Alcaraz-like artistry, including several dazzling lobs. His biggest test came at 5-6, 40/A in the first set, when he erased a set point with an ice-cold 117mph second serve. With his two-hour, 15-minute victory, the Italian joined John McEnroe and Boris Becker as the only men to lift multiple Nitto ATP Finals trophies on home soil.

“We are individual athletes but without my team, this is not possible. Celebrating this trophy at the end of the year after such an intense last couple of months, there is no better ending,” said Sinner, who hugged his team courtside following victory. “It was a very, very close match. I saved a set point in the first set and I am extremely happy with how I handled the situation and it means the world to me.”

Sinner rallied from a break down in the second set and absorbed Alcaraz’s trademark variety with poise, extending his extraordinary indoor winning streak to 31 matches. His last indoor defeat came two years ago against Novak Djokovic in the final in Turin. Since then, he has swept indoor titles in Rotterdam, Turin (twice), Vienna and Paris and played a central role in Italy’s two Davis Cup triumphs.

Now 10-0 across his past two appearances at the prestigious year-end event, including a perfect 5-0 run this week, Sinner departs Turin with a record $5,071,000 champion’s payout, the largest in tournament history. He did not lose a set all week and has the best Nitto ATP Finals win percentage in history at 88.2 per cent, surpassing Ilie Nastase.

Although Alcaraz sealed ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours on Thursday after a flawless 3-0 round-robin campaign, and claimed their US Open final showdown in September, Sinner will head into the off-season buoyed by a resounding response on home turf.

“I am really happy with the level I played today,” Alcaraz said during the trophy ceremony. “He is someone who has not lost a match on an indoor court for two years now, so that means how great a player you are. Putting in great work with your team every time. You come back even stronger after every loss, you don’t have many. A well-deserved final.”

The Italian still trails 6-10 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, but his wins at Wimbledon and now in Turin serve as a clear message that the defining battles of this era are being fought by these two.

“It was tough today,” Sinner added. “Playing against Carlos, you have to play at your best. I was serving very well at times but he is one of the best returners in the game. Obviously Novak is in there. But I am very happy. It was a tough match but it means a lot to me ending the season like this. It is amazing.”

In front of an electric Inalpi Arena crowd, both players came out swinging in a high-quality opening. Alcaraz escaped trouble at 2-2, 40/40 with a backhand laser down the line that clipped the paint, only for Sinner to answer in the following game by whipping a backhand winner off his shins, a shot that drew an approving nod from Alcaraz and sent the crowd into a thunderous chorus of ‘Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole, Sinner, Sinner’.

After holding for 5-4 in the first set, Alcaraz received a medical timeout for an upper right leg issue but he did not seem overly hampered by the issue despite his leg being taped. The Spaniard moved to set point when he hit a deft forehand drop shot followed by a punched volley winner, but Sinner survived with a huge second serve into the body of Alcaraz. He then hit a 105mph forehand winner and a big serve out wide to hold and force a tie-break. Sinner hit two stunning lobs in the breaker to lift the roof of the Inalpi Arena, before he converted on his first set point to lead.

However, the atmosphere inside the stadium quickly changed at the start of the second set when Alcaraz became the first player this week to break Sinner’s serve. The Italian hit two double faults in the game to gift Alcaraz a foothold. Yet Sinner enjoyed a slice of luck to respond. He framed a return on break point that dropped in and followed it up with a perfect dropshot to level at 3-3. Sinner then upped his aggression once again in the closing stages of the set, landed more first serves and earned one final break of serve to record a memorable win.

Sinner ended the season holding a 58-6 record, lifting trophies at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, Nitto ATP Finals, Paris, Beijing and Vienna. Alcaraz went 71-9 in 2025, winning a tour-leading eight crowns, including majors at Roland Garros and the US Open.

Did You Know?
The 24-year-old is the ninth man to triumph at the year-end championships in consecutive years. This century, only Lleyton Hewitt (2001-02), Roger Federer (2003-04, 2006-07 and 2010-11) and Djokovic (2012-15, 2022-23) have also accomplished the feat.

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Patten's partners make it dream week for him at ATP Finals

Great Britain’s Henry Patten completes a life-changing visit to Turin by becoming an ATP Finals champion for the first time – a week after proposing to his girlfriend in the city.

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Heliovaara/Patten capture maiden Nitto ATP Finals crown

Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten captured their first Nitto ATP Finals crown as a team on Sunday when they defeated Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski 7-5, 6-3 to snap the remarkable winning streak of two-time champion Salisbury.

After dispatching Italians Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori to reach the title match for the first time, Heliovaara and Patten were once again assured throughout the final. The Finn-British team lost to Salisbury and Skupski in the round-robin stage but delivered a commanding performance to improve to 3-2 in the teams’ Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

<img alt=”Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten win the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals doubles crown.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/11/16/17/02/heliovaara-patten-trophy-shot-nitto-atp-finals-2025.jpg” />
^{Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten pose with the trophy in Turin. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour}

The second seeds produced a number of stunning passing shots and were rock-solid on serve, not facing a break point to triumph after 80 minutes. It is the eighth time in the tournament’s history that the team that lost to its final opponent in the round-robin stage earned revenge to triumph in the championship match.

“It is hard to describe,” Heliovaara said. “The whole week I have looked at the list of winners, with huge winners and I thought, if there was ever going to be my name on that, I am going to be so proud. To be there next to Henry is unreal.”

Heliovaara and Patten end the season holding a 50-20 record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. The Finn-British team captured the trophy at the Australian Open and also won crowns in Paris and Beijing.

After triumphing in the Inalpi Arena, Heliovaara dropped his racquet and let out a roar, while Patten raised his fist aloft. Patten is a double winner this week, having got engaged to longtime partner Ellie Stone in Turin.

“The tennis is pretty good but the engagement was something special,” Patten said. “It has been a complete dream for me. Ellie has been here supporting me all week. I am a very happy guy right now. I feel unbelievably lucky to have a partner like her and a partner like Harri.”

Salisbury had won his past 14 matches at the Nitto ATP Finals, clinching the title in 2022 and 2023 with Rajeev Ram before he failed to qualify in 2024. Skupski was competing in his first final at the year-end event.

The Brits also lost title matches at Roland Garros and the US Open in 2025. They end their partnership with a 46-22 record on the season.

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Hewett loses Masters final to world number one Oda

Great Britain’s Alfie Hewett loses 6-1 6-1 to Japan’s world number one Tokito Oda in the men’s singles final of the Wheelchair Masters in Huzhou, China.

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Where does Sinner's imperious indoor performance rank in history?

Jannik Sinner is turning into an indoor titan.

The Italian, who will play Carlos Alcaraz for the Nitto ATP Finals title Sunday, has become dominant with a roof over his head. The second seed’s semi-final against Alex de Minaur was his 30th in a row indoors and he shows no sign of slowing down.

Sinner’s winning streak is already the sixth longest in the Open Era (carpet not included) and dates back to the championship match in Turin two years ago, when he fell to Novak Djokovic. Only John McEnroe, Djokovic, Roger Federer and Ivan Lendl have won more consecutive indoor hard-court matches, with Federer accomplishing the feat twice.

McEnroe owns the longest streak in the Open Era, having emerged victorious in 47 straight indoor hard-court matches from 1978 through 1987. Nobody else has won more than 35 in a row.

Longest Indoor Hard-Court Winning Streaks in Open Era

What is most impressive about Sinner’s streak is not just that he has won, but how convincingly he has done so. The Italian has needed a deciding set in just three of the 30 triumphs he has earned during this streak. In his 27 straight-sets wins, Sinner has needed just six tie-breaks.

At last year’s Nitto ATP Finals, Sinner did not drop more than four games in a set, becoming the first player to win the season finale without losing a set since Lendl in 1986. He has not lost a set or serve through four matches this year in Turin, either.

Since the ATP began tracking service statistics in 1991, Novak Djokovic is the only other player who has made the championship match at the Nitto ATP Finals without losing a service game (2018). Sinner has an idea of why he is successful in such conditions.

“I feel like when someone hits fast, it’s very difficult to change the pace of the ball. So this for sure helps me a lot playing indoors,” Sinner said. “[At] the same time I also try to change the pace because it is essential and it is important, especially with the difference of the players you play against.

“But yeah, you don’t have the wind, you don’t have the sun. You always have the same feeling on the court. It also helps you to feel more and more comfortable, at least from my side.”

Sinner’s indoor performance ranks highly not just among his peers, but among the all-time greats. The San Candido native is 90-21 indoors, giving him the fourth-best winning percentage in the Open Era according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. Only McEnroe (85.3%), Lendl (83%) and Jimmy Connors (81.6%) have won at a higher rate. He passed Roger Federer (81%) and Bjorn Borg (80.6%) during the Nitto ATP Finals.

No other active player, including Djokovic (80.2%), has won a better percentage of indoor matches. Sinner can continue his imperious indoor play this week but extending his winning streak to 31 and successfully defending his Nitto ATP Finals trophy.

Editor’s Note: This story was originally published after two matches at the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals. It was edited to update statistics leading into the final.

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World Cup-winning rugby captain Kolisi weighs in on Alcaraz vs. Sinner: ‘It’s huge’

Just like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, Siya Kolisi enjoyed the taste of victory on Saturday in Turin.

A two-time Rugby World Cup-winning captain with South Africa, Kolisi led the Springboks to a 32-14 victory against Italy at the city’s Allianz Stadium, just as home favourite Sinner was sinking Alex de Minaur to book his championship-match spot at the Nitto ATP Finals.

A few hours later, Kolisi was inside Inalpi Arena to watch Alcaraz down Felix Auger-Aliassime and set a blockbuster title match with his great rival Sinner. It will be the sixth Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting between the two in 2025 and Kolisi, who is a big tennis fan, understands the significance of the pair’s rivalry.

“I’m very excited. I think it’s huge,” Kolisi told ATPTour.com ahead of Sunday’s final, scheduled for 6 p.m. CET/noon ET on Sunday. “Obviously, Sinner has home advantage here. He’s from here, but I don’t think that’s going to play on Alcaraz’s mind because he is such a powerful player and he showed tonight what he is capable of. It will be great.”

WILD @SiyaKolisi reaction to meeting @carlosalcaraz for the first time 😂😂😂#NittoATPFinals | #Kolisi pic.twitter.com/mfRBoSdLtV

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 15, 2025

Kolisi first met Alcaraz earlier in the week in Turin and did not hide his excitement at crossing paths with the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. He also finally caught up in person with Auger-Aliassime, with whom he has frequently exchanged messages of support over social media.

“It was the first time I’ve seen Carlos play live and also the first time I’ve seen Felix play live,” said the 32-year-old Kolisi after witnessing Alcaraz’s 6-2, 6-4 semi-final triumph. “I came to the tournament because of Felix. [He and I] have been talking on social media and supporting each other. We already planned on meeting, and this was the opportunity to meet.

“[The match] was good. It was tough. Alcaraz was very powerful today, but you can’t take away from the effort of Felix as well. Alcaraz deserved the match, but Felix will get up again.”

<img alt=”Felix Auger-Aliassime/Siya Kolisi” style=”width: 100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/11/15/23/54/auger-aliassime-kolisi-nitto-atp-finals-2025.jpg” />

_{^{Felix Auger-Aliassime greets Siya Kolisi on Saturday night at the Nitto ATP Finals. Photo Credit: Jack Howell/ATP Tour}}

Auger-Aliassime is not the first tennis star that Kolisi has befriended. He has been close with Roger Federer ever since the former World No. 1 came out in support of the Springboks during the 2019 Rugby World Cup (Federer’s mother, Lynette, is from South Africa). The rugby star quoted the Swiss when asked what he most admired about tennis players and the way they compete.

“I’ve learned from listening to Roger Federer speak,” said Kolisi. “When you lose a point, you must forget it and move onto the next one. He says he has lost many points, but he’s won [so many] matches. It’s the ability to move on. You lose a point and then you change your mindset to win the next one. Also when you win one, you can’t dwell on it. Just move onto the next one. This mindset is so strong and powerful.”

Kolisi, who led his country to Rugby World Cup triumphs in 2019 and 2023, has since joined Federer on trips supporting the Roger Federer Foundation, which supports early education programmes in six countries including South Africa and Switzerland. However, their friendship has not yet stretched to playing tennis together. Kolisi is willing, but unsure his skills hit the required grade to take to court with a six-time Nitto ATP Finals champion.

“I’ve tried to play tennis, but I suck,” said Kolisi. “I would love to play [with Roger]. He does a charity match, and I would love to play in it one day. I suck, there’s no other way to put it, but I’ll start somewhere!”

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How much prize money will Alcaraz or Sinner make by winning Nitto ATP Finals?

New ground will be broken Sunday at Inalpi Arena no matter who lifts the Nitto ATP Finals trophy between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Since both players enter the championship clash undefeated, the winner will depart Turin with a record $5,071,000, the richest payout in the event’s history.

Last year, Sinner claimed the crown without dropping a set and collected $4,881,100 — then the largest prize awarded at the event.

This edition, the winner is guaranteed to earn more than $5 million in winnings because both Alcaraz and Sinner advanced through their group without losing a match.

The highly anticipated singles final between Alcaraz and Sinner is scheduled for not before 6 p.m. 

Read More About NATPF Prize Money

Read Alcaraz-Sinner Final Preview

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'Back where I belong': Auger-Aliassime proud after red-hot end to season

In August, Felix Auger-Aliassime was No. 27 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Three months later, he closed his season inside the Top 5 after advancing to the semi-finals at the Nitto ATP Finals.

The 25-year-old produced a blistering finish to the year, hitting a career-high ranking and establishing himself as a major force at the season-ending showpiece in Turin.

“[I feel] back where I belong. Back where I feel like I can play with more consistency,” Auger-Aliassime said on Saturday night after losing to Carlos Alcaraz. “I am really happy to be part of this tournament, to have played that way in the last few months…

“It’s great progression I’ve had this year. I’ve always believed that since I was a kid, my ambition was to win Grand Slams and be No. 1 in the world. I’ve had ups and downs, but honestly through it all, I always believed I could be there. I still believe today. Now it’s a matter of doing the right things to improve. If I do, we’ll see where that leaves me.”

Auger-Aliassime reached the semi-finals at the US Open and then enjoyed a quarter-final run in Shanghai. A title followed in Brussels and a final showing in Paris before he earned round-robin wins at the Nitto ATP Finals against Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev.

However, World No. 1 Alcaraz proved one step too far, with the 22-year-old earning a 6-2, 6-4 win to improve to 5-3 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

“He’s serving crazy good. He did that amazingly,” Auger-Aliassime said when asked about the Spaniard. “The rest of the game has always been good. He can change directions with both shots. He puts pressure on you in a different way. You don’t know what to expect. He’s playing at a very high speed. I think that was the most challenging.”

Auger-Aliassime will head into 2026 with wife Nina by his side after the pair married in September. While he has strong support off court, the Canadian is keen to work harder than ever on it.

“Everybody’s good. I can’t just focus on these two,” Auger-Aliassime said, referencing Alcaraz and Sinner when asked about next season. “Everybody above me, below me, young guys coming up. It’s high competition every year. You can have bad luck.

“But of course when I play these guys right now, the facts are they’re a level above everyone. Yeah, I’m going to need to put some work. I’ve never been afraid of some work, so it’s all good.”

Auger-Aliassime won titles in Adelaide, Montpellier and Brussels in 2025, finishing with a 50-24 record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. It was the first time since 2022 that the 25-year-old had earned more than 50 tour-level wins in a season.

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Final Preview: Alcaraz, Sinner ready for last dance of 2025 at Nitto ATP Finals

We’ve been building towards this moment for some time.

From their respective titles as emerging talents at the Next Gen ATP Finals to their Grand Slam sweep during the past two seasons, it all adds up to this moment Sunday when World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and No. 2 Jannik Sinner face off in the Nitto ATP Finals title match (6 p.m. CET/noon ET) for the first time inside Turin’s Inalpi Arena.

As if to emphasise their dominance, Alcaraz and Sinner dropped a combined 13 games in their respective resounding semi-final wins Saturday over Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alex de Minaur.

Alcaraz will be looking to crown his season by adding a personal-best ninth title – and first at the season finale – just three days after claiming ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours for the second time. But he know nothing will be handed to him Sunday.
“It is great facing Jannik,” Alcaraz said, looking ahead to the final. “If it was someone else I wouldn’t mind to be honest, but it is great…I have to play my plan A if I want to beat him, if I want to win the tournament. We will both raise our levels to the top, which is great for the fans and the crowd.”

Sinner, who most recently was No. 1 for a week after winning the Rolex Paris Masters, looks to become an undefeated champion for the second straight year by winning his 10^th consecutive match in Turin and extending his indoor winning steak to 31 matches.

And this is all set against the backdrop of the game’s most captivating Lexus ATP Head2Head series, one that already is showing potential to evolve into one comparable to all-time great rivalries like Borg-McEnroe, Sampras-Agassi, Federer-Nadal and Djokovic-Nadal.

After Alcaraz claimed four of the previous five meetings this year, Sinner will enjoy the off-season a whole lot more if he ends 2025 with a meaningful slice of revenge in front of passionate home fans. 

But don’t count on Alcaraz to give the home favourite an inch in what promises to be an epic showdown expected to add an exclamation point to a memorable 2025 ATP Tour season. 

Most meetings between current or former No. 1s in a season…

At 24, Sinner is the youngest player to reach three consecutive Nitto ATP Finals title matches since Lleyton Hewitt (23) in 2004. Having held all 40 services games this week, Sinner joins Novak Djokovic (2018) as the only player to reach the final without being broken (since records were kept in 1991). The Italian last surrendered his serve (just once) to Ben Shelton in the Paris quarter-finals.

Sinner is also looking to narrow the significant 5-10 deficit in career meetings with the Murcia native. Here is a look at their five meetings in 2025…

Asked in press after his 7-5, 6-2 semi-final win over De Minaur about the prospect of playing Alcaraz in the final, Sinner showed respect for Auger-Aliassime by offering measured comments about the possible dream final against the Spaniard.

“I’m of course happy first of all to finish my season here, another final. It has been an amazing year for me. I’m looking forward for tomorrow,” he said.

“These are matches I look forward to. Also to see for me where my level really is but in the same time it’s great before the off-season to have this matchup.”

Longest indoor hard-court winning streaks

You have to go back to their first meeting at the Rolex Paris Masters in 2021 to find the only time Alcaraz and Sinner have played on indoor hard. The Spaniard won that match 7-6(1), 7-5. He also has won seven of their nine meetings on hard court, including most recently in a four-set US Open final.

How Alcaraz handles Sinner’s first serve – and how aggressive he is on second serves – could prove critical in Sunday’s meeting.

If Sinner plays to his strengths, he will lean into first-strike tennis against his great rival. According to TDI Insights data, this season against all opponents Sinner has won 57 per cent of rallies between 0-4 shots, significantly better than Alcaraz’s 53 per cent clip. Sinner enjoys a similar edge in extended rallies of nine or more strokes.

Alcaraz’s sweet spot comes in the 5-8 shot range, where he has won 57 per cent of points against all opponents this year, with Sinner winning 54 per cent of those rallies.

Topping his previous-best 65 wins and six titles in 2023, Alcaraz’s 71 wins sets him well clear of Sinner (57), De Minaur (56) and Zverev (55).

Most tour-level wins in 2025…

Alcaraz is bidding to be the first player since Andy Murray in 2016 to win nine titles in a season. Back then, the Briton defeated Novak Djokovic in the Nitto ATP Finals title match when year-end No. 1 was a winner-takes-all final showdown.

After defeating Auger-Aliassime 6-2, 6-4 in the semi-finals, Alcaraz is now looking to become the first Spanish winner since Alex Corretja enjoyed a surprise victory in 1998 and third Spaniard overall (also Manuel Orantes in 1976).

Salisbury Chases Third Nitto ATP Finals Doubles Crown
In the doubles final (3 p.m. CET/9 a.m. ET), Joe Salisbury takes a personal 14-match winning streak at the tournament into battle with partner Neal Skupski against Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten.

Salisbury triumphed in Turin in 2022 and 2023 with Rajeev Ram. But did not qualify for the tournament last year. Fellow Brit Skupski is into the final at the season-end event for the first time.

Salisbury and Skupski hold a 46-21 record on the season and seek their first title of 2025 together this week. The Brits reached finals at Roland Garros and the US Open.
In Saturday’s semi-finals, Salisbury and Skupski enjoyed a 6-7(3), 6-3, 10-8 win over Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, who this week clinched Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by PIF honours.

One year on from suffering a semi-final exit on debut at the prestigious season finale, Heliovaara and Patten marched into the final following a 6-4, 6-3 last-four victory against Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.

The 36-year-old Heliovaara, of Finland, and 29-year-old Patten, of Great Britain, will on Sunday play for their eighth tour-level title as a team, and their second indoor title of the year after they lifted the Rolex Paris Masters title earlier this month.

– Jon Jeraj provided research for this article.

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