Jannik Sinner's coach Darren Cahill reveals the 'rare' gesture Carlos Alcaraz made towards Italian's box during ATP Finals clash

Jannik Sinner's coach, Darren Cahill, heaped praise on Carlos Alcaraz for serving smiles to them and expressed how the Italian's team has nothing but admiration for the athlete that Alcaraz is. Sinner and the Spaniard played a thriller in the finals, where the former spectacularly trounced his opponent to claim his second consecutive ATP Finals title.

Jannik Sinner was coming fresh off the Paris Masters, where he triumphed and reclaimed his No. 1 rank. However, Carlos Alcaraz, who was just shy of some points from re-achieving the top rank, did so by defeating Lorenzo Musetti in the group stage match at the ATP Finals. However, he fell to his fiercest rival in the finals.

Despite that, he received praise from Sinner's coach, Darren Cahill, for spreading smiles on the court and displaying great sportsmanship. The latter also revealed that he sent a congratulatory note to the Spaniard after he achieved the World No. 1 ranking.

"Carlos has been incredible in 2025 and certainly the years before. I sent him a congratulations note a couple nights ago when he secured No. 1. He's an incredible young man. He actually gave us a couple smiles during the match. Jannik hit a backhand down the line at one point. He looked over to us with a big smile. It is a pretty rare athlete and competitor that does that. We have nothing but admiration for Carlos."

Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner met multiple times on the court this year, and always in the finals. They each won two Grand Slams this year, with the Spaniard winning at the French Open and the US Open, and Sinner at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Carlos Alcaraz had admitted that Jannik Sinner was the favorite for the ATP Finals win

Sinner and Alcaraz at the Nitto ATP Finals 2025 - Day 8 - Source: Getty

The top two have not only been dominant on the court but have also been strengthening their bond off it. They never fail to acknowledge each other’s strengths when needed, a true testament to their integrity. Alcaraz, who reclaimed his top rank, admitted that Sinner has been better than him on indoor courts and was a favorite in the Turin finals in front of his home crowd.

"Who is the favorite? I mean, the No. 1 means that I've been playing really good during the whole season, in the whole surfaces. He's playing the best on indoor court. We're playing in front of his home crowd. I would say he's the favorite. Don't want to believe it, but I would say he's the favorite for tomorrow I guess," he said in a post-match press conference.

Carlos Alcaraz has more Grand Slam titles than Sinner, having won two each in Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and Flushing Meadows.

Edited by Agnijeeta Majumder