Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz started their ATP Finals preparation with a practice session together in Turin.
Many have questioned whether the two biggest rivals in the sport should be practicing together, although Alcaraz has defended his decision at the ATP Finals.
The pair are the two favourites for the tournament and a knockout stages match between Alcaraz and Sinner looks likely.
Ahead of his first appearance at the tournament, Sinner has explained the intricacies of his practice match with Alcaraz.
Jannik Sinner explains how practice session with Carlos Alcaraz is ‘very different’ to a match
Sinner won a set against Alcaraz in their practice session on November 8, with the Spaniard winning a tie-break against his rival.
Despite the healthy competition, Sinner has shared why the practice match doesn’t impact the pair’s rivalry.
Speaking to ESPN Brazil, the world number two revealed: “In practice everything is very different than in the match.
“In a tournament like this, when you have to play immediately against the best in the world, it’s also important to train with high intensity, high level. Obviously, there’s no one better than Carlos to practice with.”
However, Sinner did reveal that he didn’t play in the same way he would if he was facing Alcaraz in a competitive match.
“In training you don’t do the shots that you do in a match, you try new things, see if it works or not, but this is more like a personal feeling.
“But, I repeat, regardless [whether] it’s an actual match or training session, [it[ is very nice to play with Carlos.”
Sinner begins his ATP Finals campaign against Felix Auger-Aliassime in his first match in the Bjorn Borg group.
Jannik Sinner’s record at the ATP Finals
Sinner has made three appearances at the ATP Finals and he holds an impressive record at the year-end competition.
The player has won 10 matches across 2021, 2023, and 2024, and he has only suffered two losses at the tournament.
| Jannik Sinner’s ATP Final opponents | Year | Result |
| Daniil Medvedev | 2021 | L |
| Hubert Hurkacz | 2021 | W |
| Novak Djokovic | 2023 | W |
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | 2023 | W |
| Holger Rune | 2023 | W |
| Daniil Medvedev | 2023 | W |
| Novak Djokovic | 2023 | L |
| Daniil Medvedev | 2024 | W |
| Taylor Fritz | 2024 | W |
| Alex de Minaur | 2024 | W |
| Casper Ruud | 2024 | W |
| Taylor Fritz | 2024 | W |
The star lost to Daniil Medvedev in his first appearance in 2021 after he was called up as an alternate to replace Matteo Berrettini.
In 2023, Sinner won every match en route to the final but then tasted defeat against Novak Djokovic, who won his seventh ATP Finals title.
Last year, Sinner played the perfect tournament by defeating Medvedev, Alex de Minaur, Casper Ruud, and Taylor Fritz twice to lift the trophy.
