"Felt like I could do everything": Carlos Alcaraz books dream ATP Finals title tilt with Jannik Sinner

Roland Garros. Wimbledon. The US Open.

And now the Nitto ATP Finals.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will go toe-to-toe in yet another significant final after the Spainard joined the home favorite in Turin’s championship match.

With the year-end No. 1 ranking wrapped up in his previous outing, Alcaraz comfortably ended Felix Auger-Aliassime’s superb autumn stretch with a 6-2, 6-4 victory. Sinner improved to 13-0 against Alex de Minaur by advancing, 7-5, 6-2, in the earlier semifinal.

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The Canadian held from 0-40 in his opening service game, but Alcaraz pressed again in his next return game—converting his fifth break point with a winning forehand drop shot-forehand stretch volley combination. The 22-year-old consolidated from 30-40 and for Auger-Aliassime, finding a way back in from that point forward became one tall order.

With pummeling shot-making, Alcaraz broke at love to cap a tremendous opening set with 13 winners and just two unforced errors. Staying in front of his opponent, the six-time major winner secured the lone break at the end of set two to shut the door shut at the 83-minute mark.

“I felt like I could do everything on court. Doesn’t matter if I go forehand down the line, drop shot, backhand down the line, I felt like everything was going to be in,” he told ATP Media afterwards. “I think that confidence (was) really helpful, coming through the whole match. Just pushing him to the limits, to do something different.”

After dropping his opening three contests to Auger-Aliassime, Alcaraz has now reeled off 11 consecutive sets in flipping their head-to-head with five successive victories. The top seed is through to the biggest indoor hard-court final of his career, having captured his first title on the surface this past February at the ATP 500 in Rotterdam.

Alcaraz and Sinner haven’t crossed paths indoors since their maiden tour-level meeting four years ago at the Rolex Paris Masters, won by the Spaniard. Beyond his home-court advantage, Sinner brings a 30-match indoor win streak to the table as he bids to retain the trophy. Alcaraz leads their rivalry 10-5, taking four of five encounters this year (Cincinnati was cut short when Sinner, down 0-5, retired 22 minutes in due to illness).

“I think we both are gonna raise our level to the top, which I think is going to be great for the crowd,” he said. “It’s great to see Jannik Sinner in another final this year.”