TURIN, Italy (Reuters) -Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are poised to reignite their rivalry at the ATP Finals, with the year-ending championship that begins on Sunday expected to produce another title showdown between the pair in a season that has belonged to them.
The dominant duo of men's tennis have shared the four Grand Slams this season, facing off in three finals, to set the stage for another encounter in Turin that will decide who walks away from the Inalpi Arena with the bragging rights.
Up for grabs in the Nov. 9-16 finale is the year-end world number one ranking, with Sinner needing a flawless run to remain on top, while Spaniard Alcaraz can leapfrog him with a string of early victories or a run to the final.
"Ending as the world number one has been an important goal for me. In the beginning (of the year) I didn't think about it," said Alcaraz, who leads Sinner by 1,050 points in the ATP Live Race that serves as the measuring stick.
"I'm really motivated to perform well, play my best tennis, try to get some wins and qualify for the semi-finals. Doing good in this tournament, winning matches, comes together with ending the year as the number one. It's the same motivation."
An unbeaten singles champion would also walk away with a little more than $5 million, apart from 1,500 points. The $15.5-million event will also feature the best eight doubles teams in a similar round-robin format before the semi-finals.
BACK TO THE SUMMIT
Alcaraz had reclaimed top spot by reaffirming his dominance over Sinner in their head-to-head battles with a win in the U.S. Open final in September but an early Paris Masters exit allowed his Italian rival to climb back to the summit with the trophy.
Sinner, who lost an epic French Open title clash to Alcaraz before gaining revenge in the Wimbledon final, said that recent results had opened the door for him to finish as the year-end number one and he was keeping a close eye on the scenarios.
"But at the same time, if he plays really well there's no chance, it doesn't matter what my result is," defending champion Sinner said.
The duo will have to navigate a strong field featuring twice champion Alexander Zverev, American challengers Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz, and Australian dark horse Alex de Minaur.
Seven-times ATP Finals champion Novak Djokovic is expected to confirm whether he will play in the tournament following the final of the Hellenic Championship in Athens later on Saturday, where the Serbian will face Italian Lorenzo Musetti.
Musetti can book his spot in the season-ending championships that features eight singles players by beating Djokovic, denying Felix Auger-Aliassime in the process.
ATP Finals singles draw:
Jimmy Connors Group:
Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic
Taylor Fritz
Alex de Minaur
Bjorn Borg Group:
Jannik Sinner
Alexander Zverev
Ben Shelton
Felix Auger-Aliassime/Lorenzo Musetti
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon)
