Jannik Sinner began his ATP Finals title defense with a victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime on his home turf in Italy.
Published November 11, 2025
Italy’s Jannik Sinner began his bid to retain his ATP Finals title with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over injury-hit Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in a round robin match at a packed Inalpi Arena in Turin on Monday.
It was the fourth time the two had met since August, and eight days after their previous meeting, but the result was the same, with Sinner coming into the match with ease and overwhelming Auger-Aliassime, who needed medical attention in the second set.
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Sinner extended his incredible winning streak on indoor hard courts to 27 matches, with his last loss on the ground coming against Novak Djokovic in the 2023 ATP Finals.
The 24-year-old is also in contention with Carlos Alcaraz to finish the year as world number one. Sinner will need to retain his title in Turin to have a chance, but the Spaniard needs to win two more matches after winning his opening match to claim the prize money.
Sinner held his own to win his beloved first game and then conceded just three points on his serve in the first set, forcing five break points and displaying impressive shots that included sharp backhand and forehand shots down the line.
Auger-Aliassime hit eight aces in the first set, nailing Sinner’s one and saving four break points, often defending break points at the right times, but the Italian broke at key moments to win the set.
“It was a very tough match until 6-5. We had some chances to break,” Sinner said.
“He played very aggressive tennis, so I’m glad he was able to overcome a very tough test today. Obviously, in this tournament and in this format, winning the first match is very important.”
Sinner took a 3-0 lead into the second run before his opponent took a medical timeout due to a left calf issue.
“I hope it’s not too serious,” Sinner said.
“I obviously hope he recovers very quickly and hopefully he gets back to 100 percent physically.”
Auger-Aliassime saved two break points to avoid losing touch completely before Sinner sank the Canadian with another break, leaving the Italian serving for the match, which he nailed with an ace to seal the win.
As the Canadian struggled in the second set, Sinner began to enjoy himself, hitting some deft drop shots to the delight of the home crowd, who all rose to their feet to applaud the victory.
On Sunday, in another Bjorn Borg Group match, German Alexander Zverev defeated American Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (6). All four players in the group will compete against each other, with the top two qualifying for the semi-finals.
Tuesday’s matches will feature the Jimmy Connors Group, with Alcaraz facing last year’s finalist Taylor Fritz, both with one win each, and Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti facing Australia’s Alex de Minaur.
