ATP Player of the Year, No. 2: Jannik Sinner

Sinner's 2025, by the Numbers

• 58-6: Overall win-loss record
• 26-2: Grand Slam win-loss record (AO 🏆, RG F, W 🏆, USO F)
• 6: Titles (Australian Open, Wimbledon, Beijing, Vienna, Paris Indoors, ATP Finals)
• 4: Runner-ups (Rome, Roland Garros, Cincinnati, US Open)
• 2: Year-end ranking

🖥️📲 Stream Sinner's best matches of 2025 on the Tennis Channel App!

The Story of the Season

It's not often that a tennis player posts as many titles as losses in a single season. Jannik Sinner achieved that feat in another year to remember.

Following a successful Australian Open title defense, Sinner was off the tour for three months as part of a settlement reached with WADA stemming from his pair of 2024 positive tests for the banned substance clostebol. When Sinner returned, it was as if he never left.

After finishing runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz in Rome, the Italian held three championship points against his rival at Roland Garros—only to lose a gut-wrenching five-setter. It set the scene for a fascinating Wimbledon, where Sinner turned the tables to deny Alcaraz a three-peat and celebrate his first major title away from hard courts.

“Even if I don't cry, it feels emotional. Only me and the people who are close to me know exactly what we have been through on and off the court, and it has been everything except easy,“ he told press in London.

While the Spaniard claimed their proverbial rubber-match final at the US Open, Sinner responded by closing on a tear. The 24-year-old won four of his final five tournaments, the latter three increasing his unbeaten indoor run to 31 matches. Sinner went 10-0 against the Top 10 across Vienna, Paris and Turin, culminating with 7-6 (4), 7-5 victory over Alcaraz to retain his Nitto ATP Finals crown—and reinforce how far ahead the Top 2 are from the rest of the class.—Matt Fitzgerald

What's to Come in 2026?

What do you get for the man who has everything—everything except for a winning record against his great tennis rival? That’s the dilemma facing former No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who trails top-ranked Alcaraz, age 22, in their series, 10-6.

The bad news for Sinner (and everyone else) is that there’s no magic bullet when it comes to figuring out a way to beat the Monster of Murcia. Alcaraz has no discernible weaknesses beyond his love of the spectacular shot, and fleeting lapses in the insanely high level he produces. The good news for Sinner is that he has certain attributes that might help him exploit those rare opportunities.

Sinner is deliberate and blessed with a great capacity for patience. That’s a great asset when playing Alcaraz, who makes very few unforced errors and gives opponents very few openings. It’s imperative to wait and be alert for those chances, then to capitalize on them the way he did in the Wimbledon final, when he showed off his more versatile, unpredictable game.

The easiest way to create opportunities is through excellent serving and the pressure it puts on a rival. A rare off-day at the serving notch was the main reason Sinner lost the US Open final to Alcaraz. Sinner’s first serve conversion percentage was a dismal 48% (Alcaraz made 68%). Sinner has improved his serve steadily and consistently since he emerged on the tour, and if he continues to tinker with the shot it may get even better.—Pete Bodo