Carlos Alcaraz is embracing both the excitement and the pressure ahead of his championship clash against Jannik Sinner at the 2025 ATP Finals. Speaking after a dominant semifinal win, the Spaniard acknowledged the magnitude of facing Sinner on indoor courts in Italy, calling it one of the toughest challenges in the sport and even suggesting the red-hot hometown star enters Sunday’s final as the “favorite.”
Carlos Alcaraz’s Commanding March Through the Jimmy Connors Group at the ATP Finals
The 22-year-old put together his most complete year-end performance at the ATP Finals, sweeping the Jimmy Connors Group with a spotless 3-0 record. He began the week with a controlled win over Alex de Minaur, pulling off a 7-6(5), 6-2 result. He followed that with a comeback against Taylor Fritz, overturning a one-set deficit to prevail 6-7(2), 7-5, 6-3.
His most emphatic effort came against Lorenzo Musetti, where a 6-4, 6-1 victory clinched his second career year-end No. 1 finish. That run propelled him into the semifinals, where he delivered a clean 6-2, 6-4 win over Félix Auger-Aliassime to reach his first ATP Finals championship match and set the stage for a blockbuster finale against Sinner.
How Does Alcaraz Assess the Challenge of Facing Jannik Sinner Indoors?
Speaking after his semifinal victory, Alcaraz fielded a series of questions about the looming showdown, and he acknowledged the scale of the challenge. When asked how close he felt to Sinner on indoor courts after practicing with him earlier in the week, Alcaraz admitted, “He beat me 6-3 pretty easily, to be honest.”
He then expanded on the difficulty of facing the Italian in these conditions, adding, “In sport, is totally different feeling than going to a match. I said that playing against Jannik on indoor court is one of the best or most difficult challenge that we have in tennis right now. I think he has a winning streak of 30, 31 matches in a row. On indoor court we’re playing in front of his home crowd. That makes even more difficult playing against him.”
MORE: Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner Preview: Head-to-Head and Prediction for ATP Finals 2025
The discussion then shifted to who should be considered the favorite. Alcaraz, smiling, responded, “Who is the favorite? I mean, the No. 1 means that I’ve been playing really good during the whole season, in the whole surfaces. He’s playing the best on indoor court. We’re playing in front of his home crowd. I would say he’s the favorite. Don’t want to believe it, but I would say he’s the favorite for tomorrow I guess.”
This will mark their 16th ATP Tour meeting and their seventh consecutive final. The Spaniard holds a dominant 10-5 record in their head-to-head tally.