Sinner's Patience Pays Off in Turin Semifinal Triumph
Amid the roar of home fans in Turin, Jannik Sinner weathered Alex de Minaur's early resistance, converting key moments into a straight-sets victory that extends his indoor dominance and primes him for a shot at redemption in the final.
In the pulsing heart of Turin's Inalpi Arena, where the air hummed with anticipation from 13,000 vocal supporters, Jannik Sinner channeled the weight of a flawless week into a commanding performance. The defending champion, who had not surrendered a set or service game through the round-robin stage at the Nitto ATP Finals, faced a familiar foe in Alex de Minaur. What emerged was a 7-5, 6-2 dissection of the Australian's defense, preserving Sinner's unblemished 13-0 head-to-head ledger and marking his third consecutive appearance in the championship match.
Early threats test home resolve
The semifinal opened with De Minaur striking first, racing to 0/40 in Sinner's opening service game and briefly muting the crowd's fervor. Yet the Italian, drawing on lessons from a season of unyielding pressure, erased those triple break points with deep returns and a steady one–two pattern that pinned his opponent back. He probed patiently through crosscourt exchanges, using underspin on backhands to vary pace and draw errors, all while the indoor hardcourt's speed amplified his flat groundstrokes.
De Minaur scrambled relentlessly, covering the baseline with his trademark speed and saving seven break points to hold serve at 5-5. Sinner stayed composed, refusing to force the issue amid the psychological edge of home expectations and his recent shift from year-end No. 1. At the critical juncture, he unleashed a down-the-line backhand winner on his eighth opportunity, claiming 59 percent of points on second serves to break and tilt the set in his favor.
“First of all, I am very happy,” Sinner said. “It is the last event of the year and it is great to finish in this way. It was a very tough match, especially at the beginning of the first set. I felt like he was serving great, very precise. In the second set, I broke very early and then my level rose. I tried to be a bit more aggressive and it worked well but it was a tough match. But making the final for three consecutive years means a lot to me. It is a great atmosphere for me to play tennis and a great place for me to close this beautiful season. Tomorrow I will enjoy and try my best to get the best possible result.”
Aggression surges after the break
With momentum secured, Sinner elevated his intensity in the second set, breaking De Minaur twice right away to forge a rhythm that mirrored his undefeated group stage. He struck 32 winners with crisp timing, landing 75 percent of first serves to dictate points from the baseline and overwhelm the Australian's retrievals. The shift to inside-out forehands opened angles, forcing De Minaur into defensive lobs that the Italian dispatched with crosscourt precision, wrapping the match in one hour and 52 minutes.
This performance echoed Sinner's broader indoor mastery, where he has won his last 30 matches—his previous defeat a championship loss to Novak Djokovic in this very venue two years ago. Titles in Rotterdam, Vienna, Paris, and Turin, plus two Davis Cup crowns for Italy, underscore his affinity for these swift surfaces. Becoming the youngest player since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004 to reach three finals here highlights his rapid ascent.
Unbroken serve eyes final glory
Sinner's serve remained impregnable throughout, holding all 40 games this week—a rare feat shared only with Djokovic in 2018 since records began in 1991. He has bested De Minaur en route to triumphs at the Australian Open, Beijing, and Vienna this year, turning potential rivalries into one-sided affairs. For the 26-year-old Australian, the loss caps a breakthrough season with a 56-24 record, his first exceeding 50 wins and featuring an ATP 500 title in Washington.
Now, the second seed turns to Sunday's final against Carlos Alcaraz or Felix Auger-Aliassime, with Alcaraz having locked in No. 1 honors via a perfect 3-0 round-robin. The Spaniard chases his first year-end trophy, setting up a clash where Sinner's surface edge and mental fortitude could reclaim supremacy. In Turin's electric close to the season, the Italian's blend of patience and power positions him to transform home pressure into lasting legacy.
