Jannik Sinner has secured five titles this year, highlighted by two Grand Slam victories.
Jannik Sinner commenced his ATP Finals title defense with a decisive victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime, who appeared hampered by injury, before an enthusiastic home crowd in Turin.
The Italian second seed demonstrated exceptional serving prowess in his 7-5, 6-1 triumph over the Canadian.
Auger-Aliassime, the eighth seed, exhibited impressive aggression in a tightly contested first set, coming within two points of forcing a tie-break before appearing to tweak his left calf.
The 25-year-old sought attention from the physiotherapist on two occasions during the second set, where he managed to win only a single game.
This victory places Sinner at the summit of the Bjorn Borg Group as he aims to secure the year-end world number one ranking.
Sinner’s record against top-10 players, excluding Carlos Alcaraz, remains unblemished since his defeat to Andrey Rublev in August 2024 – a tournament where Sinner was compelled to play two matches in a single day.
Earlier in the day, Taylor Fritz delivered a strong serving performance to defeat Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-4 in the Jimmy Connors Group.
Sinner has emerged as a dominant force on indoor hard courts, boasting a remarkable 27-match winning streak on the surface.
His serve proved formidable in a high-caliber first set, winning 24 of 27 first-serve points, conceding no points behind his first serve, and facing no break points.
Auger-Aliassime, who previously took a set from Sinner during his US Open final run, displayed aggressive play from the outset, challenging Sinner and occasionally matching him shot for shot.
However, the injury sustained at 6-5, 30-0 visibly impacted Auger-Aliassime’s movement, leading to errant shots as he attempted to power his way out of trouble.
Sinner, who was taken to deuce only once in his 10 service games, maintained his composure and sealed the victory with an ace, earning a resounding ovation from the home crowd.
Both Sinner and his rival, Alcaraz, remain in contention for the year-end number one ranking in Turin.
To retain the top ranking, Sinner must defend his title, while hoping for Alcaraz to lose a group match and fail to reach the final.
Alcaraz, competing in a separate group from Sinner, initiated his campaign with a straight-sets victory over Alex de Minaur on Sunday.
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American world number six, Fritz, also delivered an impressive performance in his victory over Italy’s Musetti.
Fritz, the runner-up to Sinner last year, conceded only three points on serve in the second set, with two of those occurring in the final game.
Ninth seed Musetti’s participation in the season-ending event was only confirmed on Sunday, following Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal after defeating him in the Athens Open final.
He encountered four early break opportunities against Fritz but was unable to capitalize, as fatigue set in, with seven of his nine service games reaching deuce.
“I was a little shaky at the start and I was letting him dictate a little too much,” Fritz, 28, told Sky Sports.
“It was a bit nervy for me, which is expected. I felt I was able to loosen up and I just started playing a lot better.”
In the doubles competition, the British duo of Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski commenced their campaign with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador and Mate Pavic of Croatia.
No all-British pairing has ever secured the season-ending title, with Salisbury and his American partner, Rajeev Ram, having lifted it in 2022 and 2023.
Fellow Britons Henry Patten and his Finnish partner, Harri Heliovaara, also triumphed in their opening match, defeating the American pair of Christian Harrison and Evan King 6-4, 6-4.
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