Sinner Opens ATP Finals Title Defense With Win Over Ailing Auger-Aliassime

Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner (photo: Giampiero Sposito/FITP photos)

TURIN/WASHINGTON, November 10, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

World No. 2 Jannik Sinner came into his first round-robin match during Day 2 at the Nitto ATP Finals sporting a 26-match winning streak indoors and he’s been the proud winner of five titles during the 2025 season. Eager to add a sixth title to his trophy case before he goes home to South Tyrol to enjoy an off-season of snow skiing and to prepare for the 2026 season, the 24-year-old Italian returned to Inalpi Arena in Turin Monday evening as the defending champion of the year-end finale to the ATP Tour season – where, of course, he’s a big fan favorite in this part of the world.

Sinner is good for box office – a capacity audience of 13,000 fans filled up the arena for his prime-time match, his first in the Bjorn Borg Group – and he didn’t let the mostly-Italian crowd down. After racing to last year’s season-ending title without dropping a set, he began his run toward defending his title against No. 8 Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada in a rematch of their Rolex Paris Masters title final eight days ago. This time, Sinner won 7-5, 6-1 in one hour and 40 minutes, a 56th victory of the season for him that was filled with plenty of good rhythm and movement. It included a 58-minute opening set in which Sinner put on a quality show that was filled with plenty of electric shot making. While it also showed Auger-Aliassime compromised by an injured left calf that hampered his movement and required medical treatment early in the second set after he was down a set and a break, there was little that Sinner could do wrong. After the first set, the outcome was never really in doubt.

The victory, closed out with a service ace, was Sinner’s fourth of the year against Auger-Aliassime (Cincinnati, US Open, Paris, Turin) and it rewarded him was his 27th straight triumph indoors. He hasn’t lost an indoor match since the 2023 ATP Finals title match against Novak Djokovic.

All smiles on this evening, Sinner took care of business by winning 89 percent (32 of 36) of his first-serve points. He hit 16 winners while making just 13 unforced errors, faced no break points and converted three of 10 break points. He outpointed Auger-Aliassime 73-49. By comparison, Auger-Aliassime won just 64 percent (30 of 47) of his first-serve points, hit 17 winners but also committed 33 unforced errors.

“Obviously winning the first match is very important in this format,” Sinner said during his on-court interview afterward. “So I’m very happy. Let’s see what’s coming. I hope it’s nothing too serious for Felix. I wish him a very very speedy recovery. We all hope he’s getting back to 100 percent physically.”

Later, during a separate interview with Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj, Sinner added: “This country gives me a lot honestly.. representing Italy has always been a huge, huge honor. It’s nice to give something back also. When we have a chance to play in Italy, in Rome, here … it is great. I’m extremely happy to be here. I’m happy that I showed some good tennis. If I can, that’s my main priority. That’s why I’m here. At the end of the day I’m a tennis player and I want to do the best possible job. At the same time, I also enjoy it. It’s a great, great place to play in front of a massive home crowd. Seeing the stadiums packed it’s amazing.”

The Italian No. 1 extended his win-loss record at the ATP Finals to 11-2 and it spoiled Auger-Aliassime’s return to Turin, where he played for the first time since his break-out 2022 season. While Auger-Aliassime leads the ATP Tour in indoor wins this season (15-4), he will have to wait a few days until he faces Ben Shelton before having another chance at becoming the second man to record 40 hard-court wins in 2025 after fellow ATP Finals competitor Alex de Minaur.

On Wednesday, Sinner will go after his second win in the Bjorn Borg Group against No. 3 Alexander Zverev of Germany, who was a first-day straight-set winner over Shelton of the United States.

Fritz spoils Musetti’s ATP Finals debut

Earlier, in the afternoon session, No. 6 seed Taylor Fritz of the United States spoiled the Nitto ATP Finals debut of No. 9 seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy, 6-3, 6-4, in one hour and 42 minutes. It leveled their career head-to-head at 3-all and ended Musetti’s three-match winning streak over Fritz.

Fritz struck 13 aces and won 84 percent (31 of 37) of his first-serve points. He saved all four break points he faced and converted two of 12 break-point chances against the Italian No. 2. Fritz outpointed his opponent 80-62. 

“I am really happy. I thought I did a lot of things really well,” Fritz said during his on-court interview after joining Carlos Alcaraz at the top of the Jimmy Connors Group after one match. “I did a great job early on in the match to serve my way out of trouble and save some break points. The whole second set I played well and had a lot of chances to break that I didn’t get. I am really happy I was able to serve it out there and it didn’t come back to ruin it.”

The American No. 2 improved to 6-4 at the Nitto ATP Finals with his victory over first-time entrant Musetti after reaching the 2022 semifinals and last year’s final. The 28-year-old Fritz could become the fourth man this century to reach the semifinals in all first three appearances at the event after Roger Federer (2002-04), Stan Wawrinka (2013-15) and Casper Ruud (2021-22, 2024). 

On Tuesday, Fritz will face Alcaraz, whom he is 0-4 lifetime.

“I think, yeah, when it comes to playing Carlos, it’s tough,” he said. “I think the last couple of times we’ve played, the last two times especially, he’s played very well. He has played very aggressive against me.”

Around Inalpi Arena

In doubles, play in the John McEnroe Group got under way on Monday. Last year’s finalists and No. 4 seeds Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador and Mate Pavic of Croatia were upset by all-British pair Neal Skupski and 2-time champion Joe Salisbury, 6-3, 7-5, in one hour and 22 minutes during the afternoon session. Skupski and Salisbury saved all seven break points they faced and outpointed Arevalo and Pavic 60-58.

It was the 11th-straight match win at this event for Salisbury, who teamed with Rajeev Ram of the United States to the win the 2022 and 2023 titles. He did not qualify for last year’s event.

In the evening session, Australian Open champions Harri Heliovaara of Finland and Henry Patten of Great Britain defeated first-time qualifiers Christian Harrison and Evan King of the United States, 6-4, 6-4, in 64 minutes. They combined to hit nine aces and won 89 percent (40 of 45) of their service points. Heliovaara and Patten outpointed their American opponents 61-40.

Monday’s ATP Finals results

Tuesday’s ATP Finals order of play

By the numbers

The 56th edition of the Nitto ATP Finals is the fifth one to be held at Inalpi Arena in Turin. It features two former champions in Jannik Sinner, the defending champion, and Alexander Zverev, who won the year-end titles in 2018 and 2021.

“Quotable …”

“Of course, it’s something that I thought during the match and during, of course, the fact that I was playing immediately after the final in Athens. I knew that, of course, I couldn’t be at 100 percent in shape, especially physically because mentally, of course, I’m really glad that I’m here. I’m real happy and super proud of myself, of my team, of what we achieved.

“In a way, I’m super proud also today because with what I had in my body, I think I tried to fight with what I had. I have to say that I felt that Taylor was better than me. If you’re going to analyze the match, it’s one break, one break in two sets.

“Maybe if I had the break in the first few games, which I had the chances with break point, maybe the tiredness will have gone away.”

– Lorenzo Musetti of Italy, during his post-match news conference Monday after losing to Taylor Fritz, on the mental and physical stress of playing in Turin almost immediately after finishing runner-up at Athens Saturday.

 

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