Italy witnessed a night of pure sporting history on Sunday. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz battled in the ATP Finals title match, providing another spectacle in their 16th Tour-level meeting.
The home star defended the title with a tight 7-6, 7-5 victory in two hours and 15 minutes, winning his sixth ATP title of the season and wrapping up a stellar year in style.
As was expected, the encounter conquered the entire home nation. Their blockbuster Turin duel drew a stunning 7 million total viewers, making it the most watched tennis match in Italian TV history!
Thus, they officially dethroned the previous record-holder, the 2023 ATP Finals title match between Sinner and Novak Djokovic. According to Frasi Studio, 5.5 million people followed the action on Rai 2.
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Another 1.5 million viewers checked in via Sky Sport, pushing the overall share to an astonishing 36.6%. Thus, the Italians have once again confirmed their love for tennis, backing an incredible results of their men and women.
The numbers collect all the devices, including digital ones. However, even with TV screens alone, the final still grabbed a new record with 6,789,000 viewers.
What makes this moment even more symbolic is another notable sporting event right across on Rai 1. Italy's national squad faced Norway, and 7.5 million viewers watched their squad suffering a terrible loss.
On the other hand, Sinner and Alcaraz still drew higher share. For the first time, tennis stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the national football team. To make things even better, tennis won in relative attention.
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Everyone who understands how bigfootball is in Italy acknowledgeswhat this means for their tennis and Jannik himself. The 24-year-old has become a national phenomenon and the driving force behind a tennis boom not seen before.
On the other hand, the final drew just 307,000 viewers on Movistar+ in Spain. Sinner lifted a trophy after the final that rewrote the cultural map of Italian sport.
