Jannik Sinner continued his hold over Alex de Minaur on Saturday, dispatching the Australian with a straight-sets victory, 7-5, 6-2, to reach the ATP Finals championship match for the third year in a row. The World No. 2, playing in front of a packed and vocal home crowd in Turin, maintained his perfect record against De Minaur, securing his 13th win in as many meetings with the seventh seed.
The Italian has yet to drop a service game throughout the entire tournament. The opening set was a "very tough match," as acknowledged by Sinner, with De Minaur resisting fiercely and fending off seven break points. The decisive moment came late at 5-5 when Sinner finally pierced the Australian’s defense, ripping a backhand winner down the line to secure the crucial break and snatch the first set after 61 minutes of play.
The effort required to hold serve in the opener seemed to drain De Minaur, and Sinner capitalized immediately in the second set, breaking early and surging to a 4-0 lead. The defending champion maintained control, completing the 18th consecutive set he has won in Turin.
Sinner attributed the shift to his raised intensity: “In the second set, I broke very early and then my level rose. I tried to be a bit more aggressive and it worked well but it was a tough match."
Sinner's form in Turin continues his record-breaking run, as he extends his indoor hardcourt winning streak to 30 consecutive matches at ATP events. He is the youngest player since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004 to reach three finals at the season-ending event. Sinner's last defeat at the ATP Finals was against Novak Djokovic in the 2023 final.
Despite the loss, the tournament concludes a standout year for De Minaur, who finishes with a 56-24 record, achieving his first season surpassing the 50-win mark. For Sinner, reaching a third consecutive final holds major points: “Making the final for three consecutive years means a lot to me. It is a great atmosphere for me to play tennis and a great place for me to close this beautiful season."
