(No. 1) Jannik Sinner def. (No. 9) Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-6 (4)
Jannik Sinner clinched his fifth ATP Masters 1000 title on Sunday at the Rolex Paris Masters, a win that will return him to World No. 1 when the ATP Rankings update on Monday. The Italian reclaimed the top spot from Carlos Alcaraz by capping his fourth title of the season with a composed and dominant performance in the final.
Felix Auger-Aliassime had a shaky start, dropping serve with three straight unforced errors in the opening game. Although he settled in and began matching Sinner from the baseline, the early error proved decisive. Sinner controlled the longer exchanges and won an impressive 93% of his first-serve points in the opening set, consistently disrupting Auger-Aliassime’s rhythm from the back of the court.
The second set was more tightly contested. Auger-Aliassime showed resilience, saving all five break points he faced and even taking a 4-3 lead. Sinner briefly appeared physically strained, but steadied himself, holding serve at 5-5 after being taken to deuce for the first time. The set reached a tense tiebreak in which Sinner’s precision proved decisive. With just three unforced errors throughout the set, he secured the only mini-break and closed out the match 6-4, 7-6(4) to win his first Paris Masters trophy and his 23rd tour-level title.
With the win, Sinner extended his indoor hard-court winning streak to 26 matches, a run that dates back to the 2023 Davis Cup Finals. He also became the first player to win a Masters 1000 event without dropping a set since Alcaraz in Indian Wells in 2023. His return to No. 1 puts him 250 points ahead of Alcaraz heading into the ATP Finals, ensuring the battle for the year-end top ranking will be decided at the season’s final event.
Sinner and Alcaraz have combined to win the past eight Grand Slam titles, separating themselves from the rest of the men’s tour. The rankings gap highlights their dominance: the difference between second-ranked Alcaraz and third-ranked Alexander Zverev is greater than Zverev’s entire points total. With Sinner back atop men’s tennis, the stage is set for a defining end to the season between the sport’s two brightest stars.
