Carlos Alcaraz to Jannik Sinner: Get ready for next year "because I will be ready for more finals against you"

Minutes after Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner closed out 2025 with another barn-burning final, the pair were already chomping at the bit to do it again.

After Sinner successfully defended his year-end ATP Finals title with a 7-6(4), 7-5 win against Alcaraz, just his second win in his last nine matches against the Spaniard, Alcaraz used his runner-up speech to send his rival a message: Get ready for next year.

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“I'm really, really happy with the level that I played today, with the performance,” Alcaraz said. “I just played against someone that has not lost a match in an indoor court since two years from now, so that means, you know, how great a player you are.

“With your team, putting in great work every time, coming back really strong, even stronger after every loss—you don't have many, but, after every loss you come back stronger, so, well deserved final, well deserved.

“I want to say it is a great year for you. It's time to rest, hope you're gonna be ready for next year because I will be ready for more finals against you! So well-deserved year and a well-deserved trophy.”

Sinner, meanwhile, praised Alcaraz for his year-end No. 1 finish, saying that if it couldn't be him for a second straight year, he was glad that the top spot went to Alcaraz.

“Carlos, amazing season, amazing what you're doing. Well-deserved for the number one. We haven't spoken yet, but I'm extremely happy if it's another player than me, I always choose you, so you're really the player I look up to for a lot of motivation," he said.

“I need this, you know, [to have] every practice session with a with a big, big purpose and we are all very happy, the whole fans here are very happy to see you play. You are the most energetic player on tour. Also, best of luck, best of luck with that after a well-deserved rest, for you too and hope to see you again next year with hopefully, great, great battles ahead of us.”

Read more: Generational Rivalry: Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz head into 2026 after playing for four of five biggest titles

Sinner later expanded on the tenor of his and Alcaraz's relationship in his post-match press conference.

Q. There is a lot of appreciation between you and Carlos. Would you call each other friends? Are there any other players, apart from the Italian players, you feel closer to than Carlos?

JANNIK SINNER: Well, I feel like we had this conversation a bit with Darren. He used to play back in the day. Players, they used to go dinner, having dinner together, because the teams were not as big. It was maybe player plus one. You tend to be a bit more together. You open up yourself. You tell stories in the locker room.

I still feel it's a bit like this. You have your more favorite not players but friends in the locker room. You talk a bit in different ways.

Of course, I believe that Carlos has great friends and I have great friends, too. You tend to go a bit more in the national team because it's normal. You spend more time with Italians.

I do have also other players I feel very close to: Jack Draper, Reilly Opelka, these kind of friendships. I feel they're honest and you can get along very well.

But with Carlos is also a bit different because of on-court reasons. We have a very good relationship, rivalry, call it however. I feel like we can talk about everything still. I think it's great. We are good friends off the court. We do respect us in a very healthy way. Also the teams, my team, get along very well with them. I think it's a good harmony.

In the same time there's also the work and all the rest behind, which it's all about balance.