For Jannik Sinner, so far 2025 has been a season of both triumphs and trials. On one side, he has won two major titles (AO, Wimbledon), but on the other, he not only missed the chance at the other two but also lost his world number one crown to his fierce rival, Carlos Alcaraz. Currently, 760 points separate these two in the ATP singles rankings, and guess what? There is plenty more action to come in this season. For Alcaraz, retaining the crown and finishing the year on the highest note would be the ultimate goal, but for Sinner?

Talking about goals, well, right at the end of the previous season, Sinner made a very interesting revelation. Even in 2024, he finished the season with two major titles, but other than that, he had the ATP Finals title in his bag and also ended the year as world number one. But when he was asked to share his thoughts about his goals for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, he said, “I mean, my goal was to understand what I can achieve this year. There was no specific goal of winning a Grand Slam or being No. 1 or whatever.” He also added, “It’s going to be the same next year: whatever we can catch, we take, and the rest we learn. I think that was the mentality we approached this whole year, trying to raise my level in specific moments, which I’ve done throughout this year.”

Last year, he finished the season with a 72-6 win-loss record, but this year it’s 37-5 for the Italian. He was out of action for quite a while due to the suspension for the doping incident, and as a result, the numbers aren’t as impressive as they were last year. But still, he has managed to catch two ‘big fishes.’ However, his hunger for titles hasn’t yet ended here, as Jannik Sinner has now set new targets for the rest of the season. In a recent interview with Sky Italia, Sinner said, “Of course, the goal will always be to hit the ball on the court, but obviously, there will also be new ones. Now I'm leaving for Beijing. There are still many important tournaments for me, but I feel physically ready. I feel good. After the US Open, I took a break, so now I feel ready to start again, ready to make some changes and become an even better player. Of course, I also know the support I have from Italy, and since the Grand Slams are already over, the goal will be the Finals in Turin.”

Last year, he defeated Taylor Fritz by 6-4, 6-4 in the final match of the ATP World Tour Finals. Novak Djokovic was the last one to defend his ATP Finals title (2022-2023). Can Jannik Sinner be the next one? Well, in that interview with Sky Italia, he said he wants to give his best in this tournament and see how things go from there. He is one of the two players who have already secured their spot in this year’s ATP Finals. 

Looking at the past records, it seems Carlos Alcaraz could only be the barrier to Jannik Sinner’s goal for the rest of the 2025 season. Which tournaments is Sinner going to play in the next few months, and is there a chance of him crossing paths with Alcaraz yet again this year?

How does the rest of the season line up for Jannik Sinner?

The 2025 Grand Slam season has come to an end with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz securing two titles each, but there is still a chance of them facing each other this season. Currently, the Spaniard leads the H2H record against Sinner by 10-5. This year, they’ve met each other five times, and Alcaraz has won four of those matches. Owing to this incredible run this season, Carlitos has not only managed to snatch the world number one crown from the Italian, but he has now taken a good lead in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin Rankings as well. Alcaraz sits at the top of the list with 10,540 points, whereas Sinner is in second place with 7,950 points.

Alcaraz has 1,000 points to defend for the rest of the season. Last year, he won the China Open (500 points), and it was followed by a QF appearance at the Shanghai Masters (200 points); then he reached the R16 in Paris (100 points) before making an exit from the ATP Finals after the round-robin phase (100 points).

On the other side, Jannik Sinner has 2,830 points to defend for the rest of the season. So, this shows you how challenging it’s going to be for the Italian from now on. Last year, he won the ATP Finals undefeated (1,500). If we take a look at his overall record in this tournament, Sinner has played 12 total matches at the ATP Finals and has faced defeat only twice. In fact, he has won nine of his last ten matches at the ATP Finals. Without a doubt, he’ll be a favorite to win the title this year as well. But other than that, we must not forget that Sinner also won the Shanghai Masters last year. So, there he has 1,000 points to defend. Other than that, he finished runner-up in Beijing (330 points) last year.

So, these two are expected to feature in these events along with a possible clash at the Davis Cup final, and currently, Alcaraz has a 2,590-point lead against Sinner in the Live Race. It’ll be interesting to see if the Italian manages to reduce the gap with Alcaraz or not. But talking about preparations, just a few days ago, he was spotted putting in hard yards in the training sessions to improve his serve. Following a disappointing ending to his US Open campaign, he will be looking to end this year with a few more titles.

Time will tell if he can add more to the bag or not, but Sinner has already arrived in Beijing to kickstart his Asian swing. He was recently spotted at the Beijing airport in a Nike track outfit while he was interacting with his Chinese fans. Some of the fans even shook hands and clicked pictures with the world number 2, while another fan gifted him a blue-colored Labubu. He accepted the gift with a broad smile before heading towards his hotel. Looks in a good mood!

The China Open kicks off on September 25, and in this tournament, players like Alexander Zverev (3), Alex de Minaur (8), Lorenzo Musetti (9), and a few others will be seen in action. Do you think Sinner has a chance of winning this tournament?

Written by

Sayantan Roy

Edited by

Shrabana Sengupta