Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner battled in the final at five straight notable tournaments they entered together between Rome and the US Open. That streak ended at the Paris Masters following the Spaniard's early loss.
The Italian went on to conquer the title, adding 1000 ATP points to his tally and reclaiming the ATP throne from his greatest rival. Jannik and Carlos have another chance to embrace a high-stake encounter at the ATP Finals in Turin.
The dominant figures of men's tennis met on the practice court in Turin, embracing a hug and exchanging warm words. Their rivalry is incredible, but their mutual respect stand above it.
On Thursday, Jannik trained with Alex de Minaur before Carlos stepped onto the court with Alexander Zverev. The home favorite leads the fieldand stands as the player to beat.
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Sinner has won all 26 indoor matches in the previous two years, including a perfect run en route to his first ATP Finals crown a year ago. On the other hand, Alcaraz has yet to provide his A-game at the premium ATP event.
He reached the semi-final in 2023 before ending his campaign in the round-robin stage last year. The Spaniard will have to seek victories next week to keep his greatest rival behind and bring the year-end no. 1 honor home.
Carlos enters the tournament with a 1050-point advantage over Jannik. He will secure the year-end no. 1 award if he beats Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur, which is easier said than done.
Sinner faces Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton and Felix Auger-Aliassime or Lorenzo Musetti in the other group, looking good to extend his brilliant indoor streak and keep the pressure on his opponent.
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The Italian and the Spaniard have not met in the official matches since the US Open final, although Jannik toppled Carlos in the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh a couple of weeks ago.
