Paris Masters 2025: Jannik Sinner conquers the Paris Masters and snatches number one from Carlos Alcaraz | Tennis | Sports

Jannik Sinner does it his way, going directly for the rival’s jugular. A first accurate blow in the outcome and, from there, a fixed gaze on the horizon. Felix Auger-Aliassime has no choice but to insist and insist, but again and again he hits the grindstone. The Canadian, 25 years old and eighth in the world, makes a gesture of resignation, of impossibility, while the champion of the Paris Masters continues doing his thing and before winning his fifth trophy of this year that already runs out of dates (6-4 and 7-6 (4), in 1h 52m) he continues trying things: he throws a balloon, looks at the net a couple of times, with intention, and polishes that mechanics of the service with a novel posture, more upright. Fuel and triumph again. He is, therefore, the new number one to the detriment of Carlos Alcaraz. .

There, both will converge again and decide who ends the year on top, after a fabulous fight interrupted only during the period from February to May, when the Italian had to serve the three-month suspension for the clostebol case; the rest of the days, tug of war between the two. Now it’s Sinner’s turn, who, after losing to the Murcian, imposed a blow that so far has brought him three successes – Beijing, Vienna and this last one – and room for experimentation. Broadly speaking, Sinner remains the same Sinner as always, perhaps more dynamic and less afraid of leaving that space of security on which he bases his victories. Rushed this time, but still solid.

Auger-Aliassime always finds comfort indoors and reacts to the determination of the circuit leader with a good argument: interesting shots, speed and rhythm, but, even so, he knows that his options are basically to hold on and trust that the one from San Candido can suffer some physical setback. Otherwise, little to do. The first happens, the resistance is laudable, but the second does not. Sinner floats and strikes with determination, biting, opening angles and getting more and more juice out of the serve. He missed only three points in the first quarter and did not admit a reply in the continuation either. He was looking forward to it: they escaped him and, not Paris, the fifth Masters 1000 of his career.

Wherever Auger-Aliassime puts the ball, there comes the transalpine, an extremely oppressive competitor, rarely forgiving. Punisher. Simply put, he and Alcaraz end up breaking their rivals. The cadence of one and the other is so high that at one moment or another, the others end up giving in, in the case of the Canadian. He withstands the onslaught, but the fate is the usual: Sinner celebrates with the usual upright gesture, without the slightest trace of euphoria, and prepares to go for more. Everything tastes like little. It will be like this until the end of his sporting days. , he does not grant himself any respite and projects exclusively in perspective, as if the only valid evaluation were that of the last day. That is very far away, and in the meantime, he presses.

Djokovic shapes, Lendl background. And that’s right, he says; hamstrings, hips, cramps. It doesn’t matter. Unperturbed again, he reduces Auger-Aliassime, who will hurry these last days in search of the eighth ticket for the master meeting in Turin. The Canadian succumbs to the tension, to this exercise that is so corrosive and desperate, although he will not go away empty-handed: back to the top-10. His support in the tiebreaker is useless (“Fe-lix, Fe-lix, Fe-lix!”) and the crack ends up opening. Of course, Sinner, already committed to the challenge of finishing the season on top for the second time. Double joy in seven days and now, clear accounts. To achieve this, they will have to be crowned undefeated and hope that the Murcian does not add three wins in the group stage, or two and another in the semifinals.