Jannik Sinner has done his part.
Now it’s up to Carlos Alcaraz to win one more match and set up another important final against his biggest rival.
Sinner beat Alex de Minaur 7-5, 6-2 on Saturday, improving to 13-0 against the Australian, to reach the championship match of the ATP Finals before his home fans in Turin.
The second-ranked Sinner is aiming to retain his title in the season-ending tournament for the year’s top eight players.
In Sunday’s final, Sinner will face Alcaraz or Felix Auger-Aliassime, who were playing later.
Alcaraz already secured the year-ending number-one ranking but is seeking to reach his first final at this event.
Sinner and Alcaraz have met in the last three Grand Slam finals.
Alcaraz beat Sinner in a fifth-set tiebreaker to win the French Open.
Sinner gained a measure of revenge by beating Alcaraz for the Wimbledon trophy.
Then Alcaraz again came out on top at the U.S. Open.
Sinner also won the Australian Open, beating Alexander Zverev in the final, so he and Alcaraz each won two majors this year.
It’s the third consecutive final in Turin for Sinner, who hasn’t dropped a set at finals since getting beaten by Novak Djokovic in the 2023 championship match; a run of 18 consecutive sets.
Sinner saved three break points in his opening service game after falling behind 0-40.
He finally managed to break De Minaur for a 6-5 advantage before serving the set out.
The second set was never really in question, as Sinner jumped out to a 4-0 lead.
“I was happy with how I served and with how I reacted in the important moments,” Sinner said.
Sinner extended his winning streak on indoor hard courts to 31 matches, also stretching back to that 2023 final against Djokovic.
He hasn’t dropped his serve this week.
The defending champion did not drop a set or his serve throughout the round-robin stage.
He once again dominated in front of his vocal home support in Turin.
De Minaur had no answers for Sinner’s power and precision.
The Australian has now lost all 13 career meetings against the Italian star.
Sinner’s first-serve percentage remained strong throughout the match.
His ability to control points from the baseline kept De Minaur on the defensive.
The Italian crowd roared with every winner Sinner hit.
The atmosphere at the Inalpi Arena created a home-court advantage that Sinner used to his benefit.
De Minaur fought hard in the first set, holding serve until 5-6.
But Sinner’s experience in pressure moments proved decisive.
The second set showed Sinner’s dominance as he broke De Minaur’s serve twice early.
De Minaur struggled to find rhythm against Sinner’s consistent groundstrokes.
Sinner’s movement around the court impressed throughout the semifinal.
He retrieved shots that looked like winners and turned defense into offense.
The later semifinal between Alcaraz and Auger-Aliassime will determine Sinner’s opponent in the final.
Alcaraz enters as the favorite but Auger-Aliassime has shown strong form this week.
A Sinner-Alcaraz final would give fans another chapter in tennis’s hottest rivalry.
The two young stars have split their four Grand Slam final meetings this year.
Sinner will rest and prepare for Sunday’s championship match.
He has shown no weaknesses during this tournament and looks in peak form.
The Italian’s serve has been particularly effective in Turin.
Not dropping serve all week demonstrates his confidence on his delivery.
Sinner’s forehand has been his most dangerous weapon.
He uses it to dictate rallies and create openings for winners.
The 23-year-old Sinner continues building one of the best seasons in recent tennis history.
Two Grand Slam titles and potentially a second ATP Finals trophy would cap a remarkable year.
Sunday’s ATP Finals championship match is scheduled for 2 p.m. local time in Turin.
Fans around the world will tune in to watch either a Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry match or Sinner facing Auger-Aliassime.
Sinner’s home crowd support gives him an edge heading into the final.
The Italian fans have created an electric atmosphere all week at the Inalpi Arena.
De Minaur finishes his season with a strong showing despite the semifinal loss.
He qualified for the ATP Finals and competed well against the world’s best players.
Sinner’s consistency throughout 2025 has been remarkable.
He has now won 31 consecutive matches on indoor hard courts dating back nearly two years.
The championship match on Sunday will determine if Sinner successfully defends his ATP Finals title.
His performance this week suggests he is ready for the challenge ahead.
