Italy’s Jannik Sinner capped a remarkable comeback season on Sunday by defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) to win his first Paris Masters title and reclaim the world number one ranking.
The 24-year-old’s victory, coupled with Carlos Alcaraz’s early exit, guarantees his return to the top of the ATP rankings on Monday, less than two months after losing it to the Spaniard at the US Open.
Sinner, who first reached No. 1 in June 2024 and held it for 65 weeks, has now secured his fifth title of the 2025 season, following triumphs at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and Shanghai Masters. His win in Paris also extended his indoor unbeaten streak to 26 matches, dating back to the 2023 Davis Cup Finals.
The path back to the summit hasn’t been smooth. Earlier this year, Sinner missed three months after twice testing positive for traces of clostebol, a banned substance. Since his return, he has reasserted himself as one of the sport’s most dominant players.
On Sunday, he broke Auger-Aliassime’s serve in the opening game and held firm throughout the first set the match’s only break. The Canadian fought back in the second, saving multiple break points and forcing a tie-break, but Sinner took charge at 3-2 and sealed victory with a blistering backhand down the line on his first championship point.
“I’m of course happy to return to number one,” Sinner said after the win. “The goal was to go day by day, trying to maximise my potential, which I have done. Now we recharge and hopefully be as ready as possible for Turin.”
The result gives Sinner a 250-point edge over Alcaraz heading into the ATP Finals in Turin beginning November 9, where the pair will battle for the year-end No. 1 crown.
Their fierce rivalry has defined men’s tennis over the past two seasons, with both sharing the last eight Grand Slam titles. The dominance is such that the points gap between second-placed Alcaraz and third-ranked Alexander Zverev (5,690) is wider than Zverev’s total points (5,560).
For Auger-Aliassime, the loss was a setback but not without positives. His strong Paris run has lifted him closer to qualification for the ATP Finals, where he remains favourite to clinch the final eighth spot ahead of Lorenzo Musetti.
