Colleagues think Sinner is obsessed with Alcaraz

"If you listen to Sinner's statements, I have no doubt that he is obsessed with Alcaraz ", Mahut told Eurosport on November 7. "However, I don't believe he will end 2025 as world No. 1, as I think Alcaraz will get the necessary three wins at the ATP Finals ".

Alcaraz is leading Sinner by 1,050 points in the Race to Turin scoreboard. The player who finishes the ATP Finals with more points in the above scoreboard will become world number 1 at the end of the year. Alcaraz needs to earn more than 450 points in Turin to ensure he finishes the year at No. 1, regardless of how Sinner plays.

At the ATP Finals - a tournament for the eight best players of the year starting on November 9, each victory in the group stage brings 200 points on the ATP rankings table, winning the semi-finals is equivalent to 400 points, and winning the final is an additional 500 points. Thus, Alcaraz can earn more than 450 points by winning all three group stage matches or reaching the final.

Mahut is a 5-time Grand Slam champion in men's doubles with fellow Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert. He just retired at the age of 43 after attending the Paris Masters last week. When talking about Sinner, Mahut said that the junior has a good chance of defending his title at the ATP Finals: "I think Sinner can still improve his play. He is the best player in the world on indoor hard courts. If he maintains his current form, Sinner has many chances to win the ATP Finals ".

In an interview with Sky Sports on November 7, Sinner also mentioned Alcaraz when talking about shots. "For me, it's no longer a technical thing, " he said. "If you look at my forehand and Alcaraz's, they are different but both are effective. " The Italian tennis player also recalled the painful defeat to Alcaraz at the final of Roland Garros 2025, when he missed a series of match points and then lost in the fifth set. "Two or three days after Roland Garros, I couldn't sleep and was exhausted during the day, " Sinner added. "I think I have 3 match points, why don't you serve better, why don't you play better? Alcaraz also played extremely well ".

Sinner then took revenge on Alcaraz by winning in 4 sets at Wimbledon. "The Wimbledon final was also difficult for him, I led the first set and then lost 6-4 ", Sinner recalled. "I thought 'It's like Paris again'. But then I tried to tell myself that I was no longer a Sinner in Paris ".