Alcaraz and Sinner preview rivalry in Turin hitout
Under the lights of Inalpi Arena, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner exchanged fierce rallies on Friday, their practice session crackling with the intensity of a season defined by close battles and high stakes as the Nitto ATP Finals approach.
In the echoing vastness of Inalpi Arena, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner turned Friday's practice into a tense dress rehearsal for the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals, set to ignite Turin starting Sunday. The Spaniard, pursuing his first crown at this year-end showcase, unleashed probing inside-out forehands that forced the Italian into extended crosscourt duels, while Sinner fired back with flat backhands down-the-line, the ball skidding low on the indoor hard court. Their session, captured in sharp images by Corinne Dubreuil, pulsed with the rhythm of rivals who know each other's games inside out, the air humming with anticipation for the round-robin battles ahead.
Season's clashes echo in every stroke
With five meetings already this season—Alcaraz claiming four to push his head-to-head lead to 10-5—the practice carried layers of unresolved tension from clay-court epics to hard-court dashes. Sinner, defending his title on home soil, mixed heavy topspin forehands with occasional underspin slices to disrupt the younger player's aggressive tempo, drawing on the crowd energy that could fuel his run. Alcaraz countered by stepping inside the baseline for returns, turning potential defense into quick one–two combinations that have tipped so many of their encounters.
Observers caught the subtle shifts: the Italian probing with serve-and-volley forays to exploit the surface's speed, less seen in their outdoor clashes, while the challenger varied his backhand approaches to keep Sinner guessing. This tactical reconnaissance, visible in the extended points, highlighted how Turin's quick bounce rewards precision, amplifying vulnerabilities in their matchup. As sweat built and rallies lengthened, the session underscored a rivalry where mental edges often decide the outcome, each player glancing toward empty stands that soon will roar.
Home defense meets hungry pursuit
Sinner's bid to retain the trophy draws strength from Italian fervor, his flat serves kicking wide to pull Alcaraz off the baseline before closing nets with volleys honed for the arena's confines. The Spaniard, eyes on year-end No. 1 implications, responded with low-bouncing underspin to slow the pace, setting up crosscourt winners that echo his Beijing triumph over the defender. These adjustments, born from a season of mutual dissection, promise rallies blending power and placement in the finals' unforgiving format.
Beneath the arena's roof, their shared focus betrayed respect amid the grind, with Sinner layering drop shots to test footwork and Alcaraz unleashing inside-in backhands to wrong-foot his foe. The practice wrapped with both emerging sharper, the numerical weight of their ledger hanging like a challenge yet to be answered. As group-stage possibilities loom, this prelude hints at how Turin's atmosphere could swing the psychological tide, forging the next chapter in a duel that defines the tour's elite.
