In his hands, the artwork tree by Lucio Fanti, one of the most beautiful trophies in tennis; in his ATP ranking account, 11,500 points. Jannik Sinner was crowned champion of the Paris Masters 1000 this Sunday and returned to the number one spot in the world, ahead of Carlos Alcaraz and his 11,250 points. Beyond the duo, Felix Auger-Aliassime is one of the most dangerous rivals on indoor hard courts, but the Italian also defeated him in the final in just two sets, as he had done with his previous opponents.
Now the year remains open. It seemed impossible after the Spanish success at the last US Open; now it is not. Despite the significant gap of the three-month doping suspension, Sinner could still finish 2025 at the top of the world rankings, as he did last year. It does not depend solely on him; he needs to win practically all the remaining matches, but it is not impossible.
The ATP Finals in Turin will be more conclusive than ever. From next Sunday until the 16th, Sinner and Alcaraz will vie for the number one spot. The Spaniard will need to win all three group stage matches or reach the final; the Italian will have to lift the former Masters Cup and hope for a mistake from his rival. The former arrives with some mental fatigue and doubts about his performance on indoor courts; the latter, on a roll and in top form. With these calculations on the table, the tension will be higher than ever in the last tournament of the season. But what are they really playing for?
Prestige, mainly. Whoever finishes the season as the number one in the ATP rankings will, by definition, be the best player of the year or, at the very least, the most consistent. Since the list was created in 1973, the record for seasons closed at number one is held by Novak Djokovic with eight, followed by Pete Sampras with six, and Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer, and Rafa Nadal with five. Alcaraz ended 2022 at the top, and Sinner did so in 2024, so this 2025 will decide the tiebreaker. The one who dominates will keep that honor: a note in history, a reward for oneself. Everything else will be an empty milestone. Regardless of who celebrates in Turin, the number one spot will be up for grabs again at the Australian Open in January, and there is no specific economic bonus for achieving it.
In terms of prize money, Alcaraz has already won. If exhibition earnings are excluded - especially the over five million euros from the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia that Sinner pocketed - the Spaniard will end the season with a larger prize purse than his great rival. His prize money exceeds 16 million euros, while the Italian is around 14 million. There will be less than a million at stake in the ATP Finals, although the distribution of the circuit's bonus pool will further tip the balance.
Alcaraz will earn at least an additional 3.8 million for being the best in the Masters 1000 - champion in Monte Carlo, Rome, and Cincinnati - and another million for dominating the ATP 500 - winner in Rotterdam, Queen's, and Tokyo. Initially, his absence in the Madrid, Canada, and Shanghai Masters 1000 events could deduct part of that bonus, but the amount will be offset by variable income linked to points and promotional participation, as in Madrid. On the other hand, Sinner will not be able to compete for the Masters 1000 bonus pool as he missed four of them - Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, and Canada, in addition to Monte Carlo, which is not mandatory - and will barely receive bonuses for his performance in the ATP 500 events.
In conclusion, the ATP Finals will be about a piece of history and honor, little more. In fact, both players have been downplaying the importance of their battle for the number one spot in recent weeks.
"Being number one is always special, of course, but what motivates me the most now is to enjoy tennis and keep growing. If I achieve it, great; if not, there will be another opportunity," commented Alcaraz, before his disappointment at the Paris tournament, likely his worst competition of 2025. "The ranking goes up and down; what's important is how you finish the season and the feelings it leaves you with. Winning in Paris gives me confidence, but I know that Turin will be a different story," added Sinner, once again with a trophy in his hands, once again at the top of the ATP rankings.