Carlos Alcaraz fell to a 6-7, 5-7 defeat at the hands of his great rival in the final of the ATP Finals on Sunday.
The Spaniard, who has ended the year as the world number one for the second time in his career, was defeated by Jannik Sinner for a second time on the ATP Tour in 2025.
Alcaraz certainly had opportunities to turn the tie in his favour, most notably having a set point at 6-5 in the first set.
Unfortunately for fans of the Spaniard, he was unable to convert this opportunity as Sinner launched a gargantuan second serve to save the set.
Alcaraz will hope to bounce back at the Australian Open – a tournament where he could complete the career Grand Slam.
Jim Courier noticed that Carlos Alcaraz was trying to get around his backhand to hit forehands against Jannik Sinner
Jim Courier, a former US Open champion, noticed that Carlos Alcaraz was looking to avoid getting into backhand exchanges with Jannik Sinner during Sunday’s clash.
This was undoubtedly an understandable tactical choice, given Sinner possesses perhaps the best backhand on the Tour.
Speaking during the Tennis Channel’s post-match coverage, Courier said: “One thing that I kept watching closely for is how often Alcaraz was able to get forehands and the chances of him winning the point when he’s hitting a forehand versus a backhand is like, three to one.
“Like, his backhand was a shot that missed finally on match point, but he had about seven or eight forehands before that. Eventually, Jannik got it over there.
“Carlos has a great backhand, but I think the backhand to backhand battle is gonna be won largely by Sinner, is more consistent with that shot. Carlos is so quick to get around it, it makes the thrill ride just to watch for that one component is awesome.”
Alcaraz’s wait for an ATP Finals title goes on, while Jannik Sinner has now won two consecutive titles in Turin. He is the youngest player to defend his ATP Finals title since Roger Federer in 2004.
The Italian looks unbeatable on indoor hard-courts: he has won his last 31 matches on the surface.
In fact, his last loss on the surface came in the final of the 2023 ATP Finals when he lost to Novak Djokovic in straight sets.
Who do you think will win more Grand Slam titles in 2026?
Carlos Alcaraz’s next event
After Sunday’s final, Carlos Alcaraz confirmed his intention to travel to Bologna for the Davis Cup Finals.
Alcaraz will compete alongside the likes of Jaume Munar and Marcel Granollers when the tournament begins on Tuesday.
Captained by former world number three David Ferrer, Spain will play Czechia in the first round. Czechia defeated the USA in the last round of qualifying.
If the Spanish team defeat Czechia, they will face either Argentina or Germany in the semi-finals.
