Jannik Sinner wins ITF World Champion award despite finishing season behind Carlos Alcaraz

The International Tennis Federation recognized Jannik Sinner's efforts during the 2025 season, as he won the ITF World Champion award, despite finishing the year as the world No. 2.

Sinner had a very unusual 2025 season. He was banned from competing for three months because of a previous positive doping test, which prevented him from completing the full season and competing in some events.

The Italian player started the year by winning the Australian Open, but his first tournament after that was the Italian Open in Rome, where he lost in the final to Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner then also lost in the Roland Garros final to Alcaraz and in the second round of the Halle Open to Alexander Bublik, but became his unstoppable self right after. Sinner won the Wimbledon Championships to win his second major of the season.

That was also his last major of the year, as Alcaraz beat him in the US Open final, weeks after Sinner retired in their Cincinnati Open final. The Italian then won the China Open, but was later forced to retire from his third-round match at the Shanghai Masters against Tallon Griekspoor. However, that was his last loss of the season.

Sinner finished the 2025 season by winning the Vienna Open, the Paris Masters, and the ATP Finals back-to-back-to-back. It was probably the late-season heroics that helped Sinner to secure the ITF World Champion award, despite losing four out of six matches played during the 2025 season to Alcaraz.

Alcaraz won the same number of Grand Slam trophies, two more ATP 500 trophies, two more ATP Masters 1000 titles, and finished the season as the world No. 1 player. Still, he didn't win the award, which came as a shock to many fans. At the same time, it's not the first time the world No. 1 player has not received the ITF World Champion award.

In the women's singles, Aryna Sabalenka was awarded the 2025 ITF World Champion award. Unlike in men's singles, there wasn't a doubt about who would win the award on the WTA Tour.

Sabalenka was the best player on the women's Tour, winning four titles, finishing the year as the world No. 1, and contesting three major finals, winning one.

Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos were given the ITF World Champion award for the men's doubles, while Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini were recognized as the best duo in the women's doubles.

Yui Kamiji received the award for women's wheelchair tennis, Tokito Oda for men's wheelchair tennis, and Niels Vink for quad wheelchair tennis.

In the junior categories, Ivan Ivanov was recognized as the best player in the boys' singles, while Kristina Penickova received the award for the girls' singles.