In his win over Matteo Berrettini, Carlos Alcaraz showed that blurring speed and crisp technique can still prevail against a bigger opponent

By Steve Tignor Oct 29, 2021

ATP Vienna, Austria

Jannik Sinner aims to keep up winning run, qualify for first ATP Finals

The 20-year-old Italian k four titles in 2021 and reached his first Masters 100 final in Miami.

Published Oct 25, 2021

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WATCH: Sinner won his fifth career title in Antwerp just last week, defeating Diego Schwartzman in the final.

Italy's Jannik Sinner won the ATP NextGen Finals in 2019, and the 20-year-old is young enough to be eligible again for this season's event in Milan—the top eight players aged 21 or younger qualify for the round robin tournament, and Sinner would be the top seed if he opted to play.

But he's now aiming much bigger. Sinner has a chance to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin, which is contested by the top eight players in the Fedex ATP Race to Turin.

Sinner is on the bubble thanks the four titles he’s won this season, including the just-completed European Open in Antwerp, where he defeated another Top 15 player, Diego Schwartzman, in the final.

That's placed him No. 10 in the Race, trailing No. 9 by just 110 points.

But qualifying won't be easy, with upcoming tournaments in Vienna and the Masters 1000 in Paris likely to decide who gets into the ATP Finals.

"I think I can be very proud about the level I played," Sinner said. "In the other way, tomorrow I go to Vienna. There’s another tournament already. There are different conditions. I won in Washington and then I lost first round in Toronto. I’m trying to not [let] this happen in Vienna."

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I love to play tennis and this is why I play. Obviously you would like to go to Turin or you want to win this match or that point, but sometimes it's happening and sometimes it's not happening. If not, I can be happy about my season I played. Jannik Sinner

To achieve that, he'll look to recharge in between the two events despite having just a day in between.

"It's going to be a tough opponent, but I think now it's time to relax a little bit, try to enjoy the moment, and then when we are in Vienna it's a different tournament," he said.

He's also taking the same, more relaxed approach to qualifying for the ATP Finals.

There is tight competition between No. 7 Casper Ruud, No. 9 Hubert Hurkacz and No. 10 Sinner for the final two spots, with current No. 8 Rafael Nadal having already withdrawn and shut down his season. BNP Paribas Open champion Cameron Norrie is No. 11 and also right behind.

"There are other players, incredible players, everyone is trying to do that,'' Sinner said. ''I love to play tennis and this is why I play, obviously you would like to go to Turin or you want to win this match or that point, but sometimes it's happening and sometimes it's not happening.

"If not, I can be happy about my season I played.”

The win at Antwerp gives him five career titles.

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