World number one Carlos Alcaraz joked he wouldn’t mind facing someone else after setting up the latest instalment of his great rivalry with Jannik Sinner.
They will meet for the sixth time in 2025 on Sunday as Alcaraz attempts to dethrone Italy’s reigning ATP Finals champion amid what he expects to be an atmosphere in Turin that is “almost like the Davis Cup”.
The match will mark a fitting finale to a 2025 tour season in which Alcaraz and Sinner have won a combined 13 titles, including all four Grand Slams for a second consecutive season, and four ATP 1,000 tournaments.
They have settled five of those finals between themselves, with Sinner triumphing at Wimbledon and Spaniard Alcaraz winning at the Rome Masters, Cincinnati, the US Open and, most memorably, in a five-and-a-half-hour five-set epic at Roland Garros.
This time the winner will walk away with just over $5million (£3.85m).
Both players came through their semi-finals in straight sets on Saturday.
Alcaraz defeated Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-2 6-4 to reach his first Turin final while Sinner overcame Alex de Minaur 7-5 6-2 to confirm his third consecutive appearance in the end-of-season showpiece match.
Although Alcaraz holds a 10-5 lead in their head-to-head, including a 5-2 finals record, he said he must find “plan A” and overcome a partisan crowd to dethrone Sinner.
“It’s great facing Jannik. [But] if it was someone else, I wouldn’t mind!” said Alcaraz on Sky Sports.
“I just try to approach the match with more focus. I know I have to play my plan A if I want to win the tournament. We’re both going to raise our levels.
“The whole stadium is going to be supporting him, which I have to be prepared for. I hope that at least three or four people are cheering for me.”
Alcaraz dominates Auger-Aliassime in routine win
Alcaraz was at his entertaining best against Auger-Aliassime.
The 22-year-old flew through the opening set, his forehand doing the bulk of the damage as he fired 12 winners to two unforced errors and twice broke serve.
So in control was the Spaniard that he was smiling and twirling his racquet between points.
Auger-Aliassime grew into a largely chanceless second set, enjoying support from an Italian crowd and delivering his share of flair, including a backhand smash winner.
However, he lost composure in the 10th game and presented Alcaraz with match points, the second of which the six-time major champion put away.
“I felt like I could do everything. It doesn’t matter if I go forehand, drop shot, backhand – everyone was going to be in,” Alcaraz said.
Sinner keen to finish ‘amazing week’ with title
Sinner is determined to enjoy Sunday’s final following an “amazing week” at the end of a rollercoaster year.
The 24-year-old has won five tournaments this season, including two Grand Slams, but the successes have been overshadowed at times by the three-month doping ban which he accepted in February.
It was acknowledged he did not intend to cheat, but the short ban led to backlash from some fellow players.
However, there were only cheers as Sinner beat Australian De Minaur to extend his unbeaten run on indoor hard courts to 30 matches.
Sinner faced inspired scrambled defence on the baseline from the Australian seventh seed, who escaped unscathed from four early service games that went to deuce.
De Minaur’s resistance was eventually broken in the 11th game – Sinner converting his eighth break point of the set – and from there, it was exhibition tennis.
He won seven consecutive games to race 4-0 ahead in the second set before converting his second match point, extending his record against De Minaur to 13-0.
Source: bbc.com
