Despite missing out on the year-end No. 1 spot, Sinner said there could be “no better ending” for 2025.
A successful year on the court saw him add two Grand Slam titles to his collection, including his first at Wimbledon, and reach all four Grand Slam finals.
He missed three months of the season due to a doping ban, but still won six titles, the second best result of his career, after reaching the finals in 10 of the 12 games he competed in.
This latest win continues his prolific streak in late-season exhibition matches, in which he has not lost a match since being beaten by Novak Djokovic in the 2023 final.
Sinner became the fourth player this century to successfully defend the men’s singles title, following Lleyton Hewitt, Roger Federer and Djokovic.
All signs point to 22-year-old Alcaraz and 24-year-old Sinner being even more dominant in the new year, and more competition at this high level is certainly a good thing for the sport.
Without a single break point in the first 11 games, Sinner was forced to save the set point with a huge second serve.
He then dominated the tie-break, capitalizing on a series of Alcaraz’s backhand errors and landing several pinpoint lobs to seal the first set.
His usually reliable serve faltered early in the second set when Alcaraz, who had a bandaged right thigh after receiving treatment earlier in the match, made two ill-timed double faults that led to an early break.
However, Sinner fought back with a break of his own in game six and then saved a break point to hold serve in game seven, sending the crowd into a frenzy with every point he made.
In the 12th game, Alcaraz won the serve, and Sinner tied the match with a backhand from the baseline. Then he fell to the ground due to consecutive mistakes by his opponent, confirming that the Italian successfully defended his title.
