“Of course I’d love that match”: Jannik Sinner eyes dream Turin final against Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner is already anticipating a potential final against Carlos Alcaraz after winning his ATP Finals semi-final against Alex de Minaur. The Italian extended his record to an impressive 13-0 against the Australian and will seek to defend his title in Turin this Sunday, still awaiting his opponent.

While the 4-time major champion is already installed in the final, he is anticipating a potential final against his rival Alcaraz. The Spaniard will have to win his Saturday night duel against Felix Auger-Aliassime to set up a dream final between the World No. 1 and No. 2—which could be their sixth final of the season.

Once the victory against De Minaur was complete—in another imposing performance from Sinner—he referred to his potential final opponent in an on-court interview with Tennis Channel, and if he has a special desire to face Carlitos one last time this season.

“Yeah, I mean, of course. But at the same time, I’ve played against Felix earlier this week and he's an incredible player, so huge respect to Felix,” commented Sinner—who already defeated the Canadian this week in the Round Robin by 7-5, 6-1. “It's going to be a great match. Whoever wins, I'm happy to play. I'm happy to be in the final, I'm happy to play the last match of the season in front of this beautiful crowd, and whoever is going to be on the other side, I will try my best as always. Whoever plays better tomorrow deserves to win.”

The 4-time major champion has one last match left to finish the season. He holds a record of 57-6 for the season and five titles. Four of his defeats this year were in finals against Carlos Alcaraz—including Roland Garros and the US Open. However, he managed to secure the titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, the latter precisely by defeating the Spaniard.

Sinner has now reached the final of all four Grand Slams and the ATP Finals in the same season, something only achieved by Roger Federer (2006-2007) and Novak Djokovic (2015, 2023) since 1970. Sinner also holds the record of 30 consecutive wins on indoor hardcourts and is on a streak of 14 consecutive victories overall. “In any case, it has been an amazing year and for me this year finishing here in Turin with another final, it’s really special. Let’s see who it’s going to be, but I’m looking forward to it. I feel ready to go.”

The Italian has a total of 13 wins in his last 14 ATP Finals matches, reaching the final in 2023 (a loss to Djokovic) and being the undefeated champion in 2024. His streak in Turin continues for the moment, and this Sunday he will seek his fifth title of the season.

Sinner secured a convincing semi-final victory against the opponent he has been most dominant against: World No. 7 Alex de Minaur. In a new straight-sets victory, Sinner won for the fourth time this year against De Minaur and increased his dominance in the H2H to 13-0, with Sinner claiming 29 of the 31 sets played so far.

Despite the result, the Italian acknowledged that it was not an easy challenge to overcome the Australian on this occasion. “I felt like he was serving very well, especially in the important moments in the first set. I struggled a bit to return his serve today, but in the second set I raised my level,” commented the defending champion. “I felt more confident on the court and obviously very happy. It has been a very tough day for me, but at the same time an amazing atmosphere is always here and I'm very happy to be again in the final here.”