Jannik Sinner was outclassed by Carlos Alcaraz in the 2025 US Open final, with the four-set defeat ending the Italian's reign as New York champion and world No. 1.
In the aftermath, Sinner spoke of his excitement for the "chase" that awaited him after falling behind his great rival. The 24-year-old also discussed his ambitions to become a more complete and unpredictable tennis player by adding variety to his watertight baseline game, even citing a willingness to lose matches in pursuit of his goal.
Down the stretch of the 2025 season, the Italian managed to make those improvements while not losing another completed match. After two weeks off, he returned to win titles in Beijing, Vienna, and Paris, only exiting the Rolex Shanghai Masters via retirement with severe leg cramps.
His Rolex Paris Masters title briefly earned him the No. 1 spot, though his return to the top of the ATP rankings lasted only a week, until his points from winning the 2024 ATP Finals—where Alcaraz exited in the group stage—fell off.
At the 2025 ATP Finals in Turin, needing another early exit from Alcaraz for a chance to snatch the year-end No. 1 ranking, Sinner's hopes were dashed when Alcaraz completed a perfect 3-0 round-robin campaign.
But Sinner responded with a flawless run to Sunday's final, where he saved a set point in the opening frame of a 7-6(4), 7-5 victory over Alcaraz to successfully defend his Turin title. For the second straight season at the year-end event, the Italian did not drop a set en route to the trophy on his home soil. He will take a 31-match indoor winning streak and a 15-match overall winning streak into the 2026 season.
Most pleasing to the Italian, who shared an emotional embrace with his team courtside after the final, were the strides he has made in his game—showcased by the delicate drop shots and lobs he executed at key points throughout the ATP Finals, particularly in the title match. He also won 84% (36/43) of his first-serve points on Sunday after posting a 69% win rate against Alcaraz in New York.
“I feel I am a better player than last year. I think this is the most important. It's all part of the process," he reflected after improving to 6-10 overall against Alcaraz.“I always say and believe that if you keep working and trying to be a better player, the results, they're going to come. This year it was like this.
“Many, many wins, and not many losses. All the losses I had, I tried to see the positive thing and tried to evolve as a player. I feel like this happened in a very good way. I'm extremely happy with the season.”
While Alcaraz was denied the perfect ending to a career-best season, his personal-best eight titles and 71 match wins this year ensured he finished as the year-end No. 1 for the second time. He first claimed the honor at age 19 in 2022, becoming the youngest year-end No. 1 after winning his first Grand Slam title at the US Open.
