Jannik Sinner flies to the final of the ATP Finals for the third consecutive year. Beaten Alex De Minaur 7-5 6-2 after a hard-fought first set
A less simple match than the result suggests. Jannik Sinner reached his third consecutive final at the Nitto ATP Finals, beating Alex De Minaur with a score of 7-5 6-2 in one hour and 52 minutes. The blue, number 2 in the world, thus extends his impressive head-to-head record against the Australian to 13-0 and continues his undefeated indoor streak: 30 consecutive victories under the roof, with the last defeat dating back to the 2023 final in Turin against Novak Djokovic. Now the blue awaits the winner of the semi-final Alcaraz-Auger-Aliassime.
A hard-fought first set
The match starts almost in trouble for Sinner. De Minaur, number 7 in the ranking, starts with great courage and intensity, attacking and taking away the pace of the blue with a great variation in his shots. The Australian canceled seven break points in the first set and remained tied to the score until 5-5, serving with precision and controlling the rallies more than usual. In the first eight games De Minaur is perhaps the best of his (still young) careercapable of forcing Jannik to make difficult movements and limiting the danger of his backhand down the line.
At 5-5, the blue finally lights up: breaks the opponent’s serve with a masterful backhand down the line and closed 7-5 thanks to three consecutive first wins. Despite an impeccable performance on serve, Sinner had struggled more than he should from the baseline, often conceding more than having control.
A different Sinner in the second set
In the second set the game changes face. De Minaur collapses mentally and loses incisiveness at serve – at the end of the match only one first out of two enters the field – while Sinner loosens up and finds fluidity and precision again: immediate break and race up to 4-0, with the blue player becoming unplayable from the baseline and inexorable on serve. The final walkway ends 6-2 with the ovation of an arena that exalts itself for the home idol.
In short, a De Minaur in deluxe format was not enough to seriously worry Jannik Sinner. To make a differenceas usual, la winning mentality in crucial points, and above all a great serve (7 aces and 84% of points won with the first serve).
Waiting for the final
Here you are, It is precisely the service that will be fundamental for Sinner if he wants to confirm last year’s title. Especially if (as is probable) he will be faced by his historic rival Carlos Alcaraz, against whom he had lost in the past also due to a poor percentage of first balls. No, the serve will have to be the extra weapon against the Spaniard, a refuge for Jannik who, naturally, cannot miss the other shots.
Already the fact of presenting himself at the final act for the third year in a row, however, projects Sinner into legend, placing him alongside legends such as Nastase, McEnroe, Lendl, Becker, Federer and Djokovic. On Sunday 16 November, at 6pm, there will be the decisive clash, the final: an encore and important mental certainties for 2026 are up for grabs. The opponent will be the winner of the match between Carlos Alcaraz and Felix Auger-Aliassime, scheduled for today 15 November at 8.30pm. What is certain is that Sinner will play with an extra motivational charge: the Turin crowd will be everything for him.
