Jannik Sinner made a strong start to his ATP Finals title defense in front of his home crowd with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Félix Auger-Aliassime from Montreal in Turin, Italy. To clinch the year-end No. 1 ranking, Sinner must win the season-ending tournament and hope that Carlos Alcaraz does not reach the final.
Auger-Aliassime, ranked No. 8, seemed affected by a left calf problem that surfaced towards the end of the first set. He received treatment from a trainer twice during the second set. Sinner acknowledged the challenge up to 6-5 before his opponent’s physical setback.
Last year’s Turin champion, Sinner, has an undefeated streak at the event since his 2023 final loss to Novak Djokovic. Fans displayed support with a banner calling Sinner “Italian pride,” and he was cheered on with a rhythmic chant during his post-match interview.
Sinner has dominated his matchups with Auger-Aliassime this year, including victories at the U.S. Open semifinal and the recent Paris Masters final. In the Bjorn Borg group, Sinner and Alexander Zverev are leading with one win each, following Zverev’s triumph over Ben Shelton.
The top two players from each group will progress to the semifinals. Sinner exhibited a stellar first serve, winning 89% of points, with 32 out of 36 points secured. Reflecting on the tough competition, Sinner emphasized the need for constant focus due to strong servers in his group.
In an earlier match, Taylor Fritz defeated Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-4. Unlike Musetti, Fritz has prior experience in the tournament, having reached the final last year and the semifinals in his debut in 2022. Fritz highlighted the importance of his victory for advancing from the group, noting the adjustment needed to counter Musetti’s unique playing style.