Sinner started strong but temporarily lost the world No.1 spot; fans say Alcaraz has already won the battle for the top ranking.

Following his victory at the Paris Masters that pushed him ahead of Alcaraz to become world No.1, Sinner still temporarily lost that ranking in Turin. The question of whether he can regain it is now very much in doubt!

After Alcaraz secured a strong start at the Turin ATP Finals by beating Deminal in straight sets, Sinner’s match against Aliassime had not even begun when the Italian was already under the greatest pressure in the fight for the year-end No.1 ranking.

Due to last year’s ATP Finals points deduction, Sinner’s hard-earned top ranking from Paris was short-lived as he dropped to No.2 in the latest ATP rankings. Meanwhile, Alcaraz reclaimed the top spot just one week after losing it, returning to the position he most desired.

Therefore, the match against Aliassime would directly determine how much hope Sinner has left to return to world No.1. If the Canadian pulls off an upset, the already intense rivalry with Alcaraz for the top ranking would put Sinner at a further disadvantage.

Of course, from Sinner’s supporters’ perspective, indoor hard courts are the Italian’s absolute strength. If he can’t even overcome Aliassime, then challenging Alcaraz for the year-end No.1 title would seem almost impossible.

However, Aliassime’s performance in the first set made Sinner’s fans quite nervous.

In this high-stakes duel, Aliassime showed a desperate determination to dethrone the “king,” making the first ten games fiercely contested. Even Sinner, often compared to an AI, had to admit during that period that the Canadian’s resilience and risky play left him with no clear chances.

But when Aliassime finally gave Sinner a break point in the crucial tenth game, that opportunity quickly slipped away. Immediately, Italian supporters in the live chat expressed frustration, wondering if missing such a good chance might lead to an upset despite pre-match predictions favoring Sinner’s victory.

Interestingly, it seemed as if Sinner heard those complaints from afar. In the twelfth game, where Aliassime had to hold serve, Sinner applied pressure and broke the Canadian’s serve, taking the first set 7–5.

The second set’s development surprised many even more.

Some said that after Aliassime challenged Sinner head-on in the first set and narrowly lost, everyone expected the Canadian to come back stronger in the second set to trouble Sinner more. Instead, Aliassime suddenly collapsed.

Watching Sinner close out the set 6–1 and decisively beat Aliassime in his group stage debut left many incredulous at how the match started so intense but ended so one-sided.

After the match, some joked that Sinner intentionally kept the first set close to build suspense. If he had crushed Aliassime early, the match would have lacked excitement, and fans and viewers wouldn’t have been so emotionally invested in the outcome.

Both Sinner and Alcaraz won their opening group matches. Although the Spaniard currently holds the No.1 spot with 11,250 points, Sinner trails by only 1,050 points and still has a chance to reclaim the top ranking after the Turin ATP Finals.

Although hope remains, Alcaraz’s opening win makes it clear that Sinner’s path to finishing the year as No.1 has become much more difficult.

Some ask, is it impossible for Sinner to win the title undefeated? There is a possibility!

If Sinner wins every match to claim the title, but Alcaraz wins all three group matches, according to the Finals’ scoring system, the Italian would still fail to finish the year as world No.1.

Conversely, if Sinner does not win the title undefeated and loses even one group match, Alcaraz’s path to securing the year-end No.1 becomes easier. Having already won one match, the Spaniard would only need one more victory to completely end Sinner’s hopes.

Now everyone recognizes how tough it is for Sinner to finish as the year-end No.1. Some fans and commentators boldly claim that Alcaraz has already effectively won this race. For the Italian, winning a substantial prize and the championship might be the more realistic goal. Sinner himself said back in Paris that becoming year-end No.1 was “almost impossible,” suggesting he may have mentally let go of that ambition.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moon River’s Starry Sky)