Jannik Sinner started his ATP Finals title defense impressively in front of his home crowd by defeating Félix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal 7-5, 6-1 in Turin, Italy. Sinner aims to secure the year-end No. 1 ranking by winning the season-ending tournament and hoping that Carlos Alcaraz does not reach the final.
Auger-Aliassime, ranked No. 8, seemed affected by a left calf problem that emerged towards the end of the first set, requiring treatment from a trainer twice during the second set. Sinner acknowledged the challenge posed by Auger-Aliassime, especially before the physical issue surfaced.
Having triumphed in Turin last year without dropping a set, Sinner remains unbeaten at the event since the 2023 final against Novak Djokovic. The crowd displayed their support by labeling Sinner as “Italian pride” and chanting his name during his post-match interview.
Sinner has now won all four encounters with Auger-Aliassime this year, including notable victories at the U.S. Open semifinal and the recent Paris Masters final. In the Bjorn Borg group, Sinner and Alexander Zverev lead with one win each, following Zverev’s victory over Ben Shelton.
The top two players from each group will advance to the semifinals. Sinner showcased his dominance by winning 89% of points on his first serve, emphasizing the importance of focus against strong-serving opponents in his group. In another match, Taylor Fritz defeated Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-4, with Fritz’s experience in the tournament proving valuable compared to Musetti’s debut appearance.
