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.” [BBC]
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