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New Delhi: Carlos Alcaraz qualified for the first-ever ATP Finals championship match after defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-2, 6-4 on Saturday in Turin. This victory sets up a blockbuster final against his rival Jannik Sinner. The Spaniard had received the ATP Year-end No. 1 trophy just a day earlier.
Alcaraz performed brilliantly throughout the tournament, underlining his confidence and sharpness. He needed only an hour and 23 minutes to dominate the Canadian. Alcaraz controlled rallies from the baseline and finished points with ease at the net. He never faced a break point and remained in control from start to finish.
The Spaniard built the foundation for his victory early, earning a 3–1 lead in the first set and closing the opening set with a full-stretch volley at the end of a fierce rally. He applied constant pressure on Auger-Aliassime with his trademark drop shots and brilliant shot-making, riding that momentum to take the set 6-2.
In the second set, his composed serving and an important break at 4-4 allowed the world no.1 to close out the match with a dominating victory. The Spaniard repeatedly pushed Auger-Aliassime into awkward positions with mixed weighty groundstrokes and also anticipated superbly. His tactical clarity ensured that he advanced to the final without dropping a set.
Alcaraz leads the 2025 head-to-head against Sinner 4-1 (10-5 overall), but the Italian will arrive in the summit clash with a 30-match consecutive indoor winning streak. Both players have remained undefeated all week, sharing all four major titles and 13 trophies this season, making Sunday's clash one of the most anticipated.
After the match, Alcaraz said that he felt like he could do everything on court, and it didn't matter to him if it was a forehand down the line, a drop shot or a backhand down the line. The Spaniard further added that he felt like everything was going to be in and that confidence helped him through the whole match.
"It is great facing Jannik. I know I have to play my plan A if I want to beat him, if I want to win the tournament. I think we'll both raise our levels to the top - great for the fans and the crowd," Alcaraz said.
He becomes the first Spaniard to qualify for the ATP Finals championship match since Rafael Nadal in 2013 and is also aiming to become the first from his country to win it since Alex Corretja in 1998.
