Carlos Alcaraz argues ATP Finals schedule favors Jannik Sinner ahead of possible final
NewsFriday, 14 November 2025 at 19:30
Carlos Alcaraz outlined an advantage that Jannik Sinner could have ahead of Saturday's eagerly anticipated ATP Finals semifinals in Turin.
Alcaraz secured his place in the semifinals by going undefeated in the group stage. This year's French Open and Wimbledon champion overcame Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, and Lorenzo Musetti.
Those three victories also guarantee that he will finish as the year-end No. 1. Sinner held that spot after winning the 2025 Paris Masters, but not even retaining his ATP Finals title would be enough for him to overtake Alcaraz again.
Sinner also went undefeated in the group stage of this year's tournament. The Italian will play Alex de Minaur, against whom he has a 12-0 winning record. A defeat for the home favorite would be among the biggest upsets of 2025.
That match will be played in the afternoon. Alcaraz's semifinal clash is scheduled for the evening, guaranteeing him a later finish than the man he has dominated men's tennis with for the last two years.
The Spaniard has not hidden that he would have preferred an afternoon slot. Marca reported on Alcaraz's words that starting later means he will have less recovery time, which has the potential to influence the final result.
"Obviously, the less recovery time you have, the worse it is. I'm not saying it's a huge handicap, but it's not the same to finish at 11:30 or 12 and go to bed at 2 as it is to go to bed at 11 and do everything much earlier. Recovery time and rest time greatly influence whether you're in good enough shape, or in better shape, for Sunday."
Nonetheless, if Alcaraz and Sinner reach the final, the former might be better equipped to manage the short recovery time. The Italian has had more consistent cramping problems, most recently at the 2025 Shanghai Masters.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have a great relationship despite their rivalry
Many tennis rivalries have been bitter. John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors, and the early years of Roger Federer's matches with Novak Djokovic are examples of high-level battles marked by resentment.
Alcaraz and Sinner have gone beyond merely respecting each other to form a friendship. They dined together earlier this year and are comfortable doing joint interviews despite their on-court rivalry.
Their class and sportsmanship were on display in the 2025 French Open final. Alcaraz and Sinner overruled marks in the other's favor without the umpire prompting them, and took no tactical toilet breaks despite being on court for over 5 hours.
It would be incredible if the pair maintained that good relationship throughout their careers. Achieving that in the pressurized environment of the top of tennis may not be easy. Whether they do it will be revealed in the coming years.
Sinner has had a problem against Alcaraz on outdoor courts since the start of 2024, losing seven of their last eight meetings. However, he defeated the Spaniard on an indoor hard court at the 2024 and 2025 Six Kings Slam finals, which bodes well for the ATP Finals.
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