Jannik Sinner has soared into the final of the 2025 ATP Finals, dispatching Alex de Minaur in a commanding straight-sets semifinal victory (7-5, 6-2) that extends his remarkable unbeaten run on indoor hard courts. The Italian star, playing in front of an ecstatic home crowd in Turin, delivered a performance defined by ruthless efficiency, particularly behind his serve, which has become a lethal weapon throughout the tournament.

This win continues Sinner’s dominant title defense and sets the stage for a blockbuster final with either his arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz or the rising star Felix Auger-Aliassime, where he will look to cap off his season by lifting the trophy once again. Following his semifinal triumph, Sinner offered a candid assessment of the crucial element behind his sensational form, pinpointing his transformed serve as the cornerstone of his success.

In an on-court interview, he revealed, “Yeah you know I felt like also last year and end of the year I was serving much much better than throughout the year and also this year has been similar.”

The Italian continued, adding, “I hope you know that we will work a lot, you know, in the pre-season to be ready for next for the next season. Hopefully I can serve also like this throughout the season, you know, making the serve as stable as possible. But yeah, you know it had worked; it has worked very very well in this and especially in this tournament, and obviously serving indoors well it helps you gives you a huge hand to be more confident.”

“So I’m very happy about the work we are doing and yeah let’s see let’s see what’s coming. Tomorrow is the last match of this season for me, so I’m very happy to finish with a final.”

In the match against de Minaur, Sinner’s first serve percentage sat at 74%, while he won 84% of his first serve points. What’s remarkable is that these numbers have not dropped below the seventies and eighties all tournament. In fact, Sinner’s first serve points percentage even hit 89% in his opener against Felix Auger-Aliassime.

For comparison, in his last match against Lorenzo Musetti, Carlos Alcaraz’s first serve percentage was at 69%. In Sinner’s case, the numbers reveal just how dominant he is indoors (his streak is at 30 wins and counting) and how much his serve has improved of late. It was only a couple months ago when he logged 48% on his first serve and won just 69% of his first serve points in the US Open final against Alcaraz.

But after that pivotal match, Sinner himself called out his need to improve. It’s clear Team Sinner has identified key areas for development, and a major focus has become introducing more tactical variety and shoring up weaknesses.

Part of this transformation involved a technical adjustment to his serve, with the team experimenting with Sinner bringing his feet together before the motion to generate more height and power. This technical refinement, combined with dedicated physical training to add strength, has paid immense dividends, allowing him to blast service winners and secure easy points when he needs them most. The statistical impact of this improvement is undeniable.

During his run in Turin, Sinner himself highlighted that “serving very well in important moments has brought me to this point.” This was spectacularly evident in his straight-sets round-robin win over Alexander Zverev, where he dropped just eight points on his first serve and saved all seven break points he faced, a testament to his clutch performance under pressure. However, Sinner’s mentality prior to this particular semifinal was quite unique.

Jannik Sinner wasn’t going to take de Minaur’s challenge lightly

Jannik Sinner has easily made his way into the semi-finals of the ATP Finals in Turin, gearing up for an exciting match against Alex de Minaur. So, the Italian really pulled it off against Ben Shelton, winning 6-3, 7-6(3), and he was on a nice little 3-0 streak. But you know, Sinner’s mindset for the semifinal was something else. He wasn’t overly confident; he was more strategic about it.

“Yeah, I mean, you know, first I’m very happy for him because when you have this kind of losses, what he had, you know, against Lorenzo, it’s very tough. But props to him, you know, to come back with such an incredible performance, one of the best matches I’ve seen him play against Taylor,” Sinner said about his semifinal opponent, Alex de Minaur. So, the Australian was really in a “very, very dark spot” after that tough loss to Lorenzo Musetti (7-5, 3-6, 7-5). It got to him so much that he even said he “hated the sport.”

In a surprising twist, de Minaur kept his spirits high and pulled off a 7-6(3), 6-3 win against Fritz in straight sets. It was his first win at the ATP Finals, and thanks to Carlos Alcaraz’s 6-4, 6-1 victory over Musetti, he made an unexpected comeback into the semi-finals.

Sinner also highlighted what made de Minaur a tough opponent, saying, “So I have to be very careful, you know, because he doesn’t have a lot to lose. I have a lot to lose. So, you know, it’s going to be very difficult. But from my point of view, I’m very happy to be in the semis. It’s a special occasion for me, and hopefully I can show some good tennis. And we all hope for a couple of great semi-finals. And then we see what whatever comes out.”

Both tennis stars had a point to make. But for Sinner, the semifinal was about to mean even more. Even with the pressure to be perfect, the Italian came through and locked in his place in the finals, where he’ll be up against either Carlos Alcaraz or Felix Auger-Aliassime.