By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, November 15, 2025
Photo: Valerio Pennicino/Getty
Raised in Northern Italy, Jannik the Sinner spent his childhood walking fast downhill.
Today, the former junior ski champion was peaking again in Turin.
The reigning champion Sinner unleashed an avalanche of damaging discs while defeating Alex de Minaur 7-5, 6-2 cruising to his third consecutive ATP Finals.
From 4-5 down, a relentless sinner broke through in seven straight games that helped him to his ninth straight victory in Turin without dropping a set in that span. Sinner served 75 percent, allowed just seven points on his first serve and saved all four break points he faced.
It is Sinner’s 30th straight triumph on the tough indoor track. The Italian powerhouse who inspired the Carrot Nation joins Novak Djokovic (2018) as the second man to reach an ATP Finals title match without dropping serve.
The 24-year-old Sinner booked his place in his third straight ATP Finals title match – the youngest man since Lleyton Hewitt 21 years ago to reach three year-end finals.
The first time was so beautiful – he had to do it THREE 🇮🇹@janniksin #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/TqXRA86AsT
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 15, 2025
Wimbledon winner Sinner will face year-end world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz or eighth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in tomorrow’s final.
In a bid for his first ATP Finals championship, the 22-year-old Alcaraz has won 10 of 15 meetings with Sinner. The pair made Open Era history as the first rivals to meet in three consecutive major finals this season. Sinner has won four of six meetings against Auger-Aliassime, including a 7-5, 6-1 sweep in Monday’s round-robin match.
Consider the imposing challenge de Minaur faced in his bid to become the first Australian since his Davis Cup captain, Lleyton Hewitt, in 2004 to reach the ATP finals. Sinner had won 27 of their previous 29 sets – and was playing in front of 17,000 raucous Italian fans who booed the Demon when he failed to serve in his 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 loss to Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in round-robin play on Tuesday.
However, de Minaur came out driving the ball down the middle, promptly winning triple point on the Australian Open champion’s opening serve. Sinner saved all three break points, including an ace on the tee, for the 31st straight time in the tournament.
Midway through the set, the physicality escalated. Sinner won a thrilling 22-shot rally and won two break points. In the lively booth of the seventh game, de Minaur ran everything, hit a few sharp backhands and stood firm in a 12-point game for 4-3.
Hitting the corners, Sinner sealed the first love of the match even after eight games. Back-to-back running, de Minaur’s determined movement and flat low shots helped her deny a fifth break point, closing out an eight-minute stoppage by pulling off a backhand error for 5-4.
Facing break points for the fourth time in his sixth service game, de Minaur drilled an ace out to save a seventh break point. Glancing at his training box as frustration built, Sinner immediately turned and buried a diagonal forehand into the corner for an eighth break point.
Reaction with interest 💥@janniksin raises his level to get the first break against de Minaur!#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/QDIk0azeRB
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 15, 2025
Finally, 61 minutes into a draining set, Sinner rose and smoked a shot behind the line breaking with a clenched fist for 6-5.
On his second set point, Sinner bent serve wide to close out a 66-minute opening set that saw the top seed win 21 of 25 first serve points as a stubborn de Minaur saved seven of eight break points to send the champion to the brink of a blowout.
Former junior ski champion Sinner glided smoothly into the corner like a man on skates, hitting a running shot down the line. That single shot of defense on offense drilled de Minaur for a second straight break to start the second set.
A sharp sin-binner hit a full forward stretch return that rattled de Minaur. Sinner was swinging loose and shooting with wicked aim with a wicked arm, firing to the net for his third straight break and a 3-0 lead in the second set.
The Demon is never short of determination and he used a net winner and seventh ace to finally halt his seven-game freefall and hold 1-4 after 93 minutes.
An unbeaten Sinner scorched a diagonal arm winner to close it out in one hour and 52 minutes. Sinner will carry a 57-6 2025 record into tomorrow’s finale.
