The two top players are so far ahead of the opposition – every time they have both competed at an event this year, one of them has won it
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ays before the grand finale of the ATP season in Turin, the Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner show had already begun. Although the two rivals are locked in battle to determine the year-end No 1 ranking, rumours swirled early on Friday morning that they were scheduled to train together. Sure enough, that afternoon they entered the stadium court side-by-side and they were greeted by deafening roars from a significant crowd.
The practice set that followed garnered as much attention as many matches this year. Thousands of viewers tuned in to watch the live stream, then highlights were swiftly available afterwards. The scores from practice sets usually do not leave the practice court, but on this occasion the tennis world quickly learned that Sinner had finished the day with a 6-3 win. They commemorated the moment with a selfie that instantly spread like wildfire across social media.
This is their tour now. Even when Alcaraz suffered a poor loss to Cameron Norrie in his opening match at the Paris Masters, the streak that has defined this year’s ATP season endured with Sinner’s subsequent victory: every time Alcaraz and Sinner have competed at a tournament this year, one of them has finished the week with the title. On most occasions, including in the last three grand slam tournaments, they have faced off in the final.
