Jannik Sinner23 years old and world No. 1, and Carlos Alcaraz21 and No. 3, are the current tennis references. The four Grand Slams of the season have been shared, both want to somehow break this tie with a first ATP Finals and continue the success in the Davis Cup.
The defender of the crown is not in the way, Novak Djokovicexhausted after the knee injury and the Olympic gold, yes the most serious alternative to the established power, the German Alexander Zverevtwo-time champion of the 'masters' event and who snatched the No. 2 ranking from the Spaniard before this event.
Sinner led the way on Sunday with a strong start. Today, Monday, his two main rivals will try to follow him, one of whom would be destined to meet him already in the semifinals. At 2:00 p.m. (Movistar Plus+), shift Carlos Alcaraz. Their second participation in a Finals begins with the obligation to win, because otherwise it would jeopardize their objective and would go absolutely against normality and the forecast.
Because he will have the Norwegian in front of him Casper Ruud25 years old and no. They have lost six of their last games, the three most recent.
Furthermore, the record between them is 4-0 for the El Palmar tennis player. It will be their fifth confrontation, first this year. They have not measured strength since the Beijing 2023 quarterfinals, with a resounding 6-4 and 6-2 from the pupil of Juan Carlos Ferrero, who came to Italy as a warrior, ready to win a title that they had already achieved Manolo Orantes and Àlex Corretja, no Rafa Nadal.
In 2023 Alcaraz said goodbye in the semifinals against Novak Djokovicafter having debuted with a defeat against Alexander Zverev. He beat the Russians Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev. He has managed to reach these last few months physically and mentally fresher than other times.
Since the US Open his balance is 12 victories in 14 matches. He was champion in Beijing, lost in the Shanghai quarterfinals against the Czech Tomas Machac and gave in to the French Ugo Humbert in the second round of Paris Bercy. He is an all-rounder, even if he is in the more dominant living space of Sinner and Zverev.
The latter will close the day of the John Newcombe Group against Andrey Rublevninth in the ranking and with a starting position due to Djokovic's resignation.
Alcaraz will go straight for the victory, and better if it is in two sets because of the tiebreakers, if they are necessary. In dispute there are 200 ranking points and an extra financial prize of $562,000. He has 165,500 insured by jumping onto the court, playing the match, to which he will add 396,500 if he wins.
