ATP Tour

Alcaraz reflects on Sinner following Nitto ATP Finals clash: 'He always comes back stronger'

Carlos Alcaraz was full of praise for his great rival Jannik Sinner following their latest battle on Sunday at the Nitto ATP Finals. Although the Spaniard fell to the Italian in the Turin title match, he was encouraged by his performance and acknowledged the difficulty of facing Sinner indoors.

“I thought at the beginning of the match that I could beat him, that I could compete against him here,” Alcaraz said of Sinner, who has now won his past 31 indoor matches. “It didn't surprise [me] at all that I was really close. It was just about the tennis. I'm just really happy with the performance that I did today. I'm pretty sure that it's going to keep growing, my level on indoor courts.

“I felt the improvements of Jannik. I said many times, I think a player like him, he always comes back stronger from the losses. He always learn from the losses. Once again, he has shown everybody that he did it. Especially in the serves, putting so much pressure on you. It's really difficult to play against him.”

Alcaraz had beaten Sinner in the US Open final in September, but the 24-year-old responded with authority in Turin, lifting the year-end trophy for the second straight season and narrowing his deficit in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series to 6-10.

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The final was tight throughout. Alcaraz received a medical timeout for a hamstring issue at 5-4 in the opening set and had his upper right leg taped, but the World No. 1 stressed that the problem didn’t affect his play.

“I felt something in my hamstring after trying to catch one serve," Alcaraz said. "I could say that it didn't affect me too much because I could run well, I could go to the balls well. [There were] thoughts about how [it] is going to be if I do crazy things that I'm used to doing, how is it going to be. Those thoughts were in my mind sometimes. But I could play well.”

Alcaraz upped his aggression and moved forward more frequently in the second set and gained a break advantage before Sinner pegged the 22-year-old back and then turned the tide again to seal victory.

“I didn't change the plan because of the injury. I changed it because I felt that I had to do something else,” Alcaraz said on his tactical tweaks. “I'm trying to be as aggressive as I can on court every match, but especially I think even more against Jannik. Every time that I can, just trying to go forward.

“It worked because I was a break up. I was serving well. That game, I think at 3-2. I was up in the game. I made a few mistakes that I didn't have to make. In general, I think it was a great plan that I did today. That's why I'm really happy with the level and the performance that I did today, because I think I did not do too many things wrong, which is great.”

After going 3-0 in the round-robin stage, Alcaraz received the ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF trophy on court in the Inalpi Arena. The 22-year-old is now 71-9 on the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, and has claimed a Tour-leading eight titles in 2025, including majors at Roland Garros and the US Open and ATP Masters 1000 crowns in Monte-Carlo, Rome, and Cincinnati. The Spaniard is set to conclude his season next week at the Davis Cup Finals.