Carlos Alcaraz reflects on Jannik Sinner after Nitto ATP final clash: ‘He always gets stronger’ | ATP Tour

match response

Alcaraz reflects on Sinner after Nitto ATP final clash: ‘He always gets stronger’

The Spaniard finished the season with a 71-9 record, according to the Infosys ATP Win-Loss Index

November 16, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz was full of praise for his arch-rival Jannik Sinner following his latest match at the Nitto ATP Finals on Sunday. Although the Spaniard lost to the Italian in the Turin championship, he was encouraged by his performance and admitted the difficulty of facing Sinner indoors.

“I thought at the beginning of the match that I could beat him, that I could compete with him here,” Alcaraz said of Sinner, who has now won his past 31 indoor matches. “It’s not surprising [me] Anyway, I was really close. It’s just about tennis. I’m very happy with today’s performance. I’m pretty sure my level on the indoor court will continue to improve.

“I feel Yannick’s improvement. I’ve said it many times, I think a player like him, he always gets stronger from his failures. He always learns from his failures. Once again he proved to everyone that he does it. Especially on serve, it puts a lot of pressure on you. It’s really difficult to play against him.”

Alcaraz had beaten Sinner in the US Open final in September, but the 24-year-old responded authoritatively in Turin to lift the year-end trophy for the second consecutive season and close the gap in his Lexus ATP Showdown Series to 6-10.

The final was tight from start to finish. At 5-4 in the first set, Alcaraz took a medical timeout due to a hamstring injury and had his upper right leg taped, but the world No. 1 stressed that the problem did not affect his game.

“I felt something in my hamstring after trying to return the serve,” Alcaraz said. “I can say it doesn’t affect me that much because I can run the ball well and I can catch the ball well. [There were] ideas on how [it] What would be the outcome if I did the crazy things I’m used to doing. These thoughts sometimes pop into my head. But I can play well. “

Alcaraz stepped up the attack in the second set, pushing forward more frequently to gain a break advantage before Sinner targeted the 22-year-old before turning the tide again to seal victory.

“I didn’t change the plan because of the injury. I changed it because I felt like I had to do something else,” Alcaraz said of his tactical adjustments. “I try to be as aggressive as I can every game on the court, but especially against Jannik I think about it more. Every time I can, I try to move forward.

“It worked because I’m a breakup guy. My serve was good. That match, I think it was 3-2. I was on top of the match. I made some mistakes that I didn’t have to make. Overall, I thought I had a great plan today. That’s why I’m really happy with the level and the performance today because I don’t think I did too many wrong things, which was great.”

After winning 3-0 in the round-robin stage, Alcaraz received the ATP Year-End No. 1 Trophy presented by PIF on the court at the Inalpi Arena. The 22-year-old is 71-9 on the season and has won eight tour-leading titles in 2025, including majors at Roland Garros and the U.S. Open and ATP Masters 1000 crowns in Monte Carlo, Rome and Cincinnati, according to the Infosys ATP Win-Loss Index. The Spaniard will end his season in next week’s Davis Cup final.