ATP Finals: Jannik Sinner beats Carlos Alcaraz to defend title in Turin

Despite missing out on first place at the end of the year, Sinner said there couldn’t be a “better finish” until 2025.

His successful year on court saw him add two Grand Slam titles to his collection, including his first win at Wimbledon, and reach all four major finals.

He missed three months of the season to serve a doping ban, but claimed six titles – the second best tally of his career – after reaching the final in 10 of the 12 tournaments he entered.

This latest win extends his prolific record at the season-ending event, where he has not lost a match since his defeat to Novak Djokovic in the 2023 final.

Sinner became the fourth player to succeed in retaining the men’s singles title this century, joining Lleyton Hewitt, Roger Federer and Djokovic.

All signs point to further dominance by the 22-year-old Alcaraz and the 24-year-old Siner in the new year, and more competitions being played at this high level can only be a good thing for the sport.

After ending the first 11 games without earning a break point, Sinner was forced to save a set point with a huge second serve.

He then took control in the tiebreak, capitalizing on a series of backhand errors from Alcaraz and landing a few well-placed shots, to take the first set.

His usually reliable serve faltered in the first game of the second set, as Alcaraz committed two untimely double faults, which led to a fracture of his right thigh after receiving treatment earlier in the match, and he broke his serve early.

However, Sinner responded by breaking in the sixth game before saving a break point in the seventh game to hold serve for the set, sending the crowd into a frenzy with every point he won.

With Alcaraz serving to stay in the match in the 12th game, Sinner succeeded in achieving the equalizer with a backhand shot from the bottom of the line before falling to the ground as successive errors from his opponent confirmed the Italian player’s success in defending the title.