Jannik Sinner just pulled off something pretty amazing. He’s already locked up his spot for the 2025 ATP Finals in Turin, and it’s only August.
Here’s the crazy part – he’s done this after playing just five tournaments all year.
That’s right, five events. Most players his level have competed in at least double that number by now.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jannik Sinner | 24 | 15,405 | 33 - 3 |
Sinner’s been the hottest player on tour over the past 12 months. Since early 2024, he’s managed to win four Grand Slam titles. Last year in Turin, he didn’t just qualify for the ATP Finals – he won the whole thing.
Why He’s Played So Few Tournaments
The reason for Sinner’s light schedule? A three-month suspension that kept him off court for a big chunk of the season.
Carlos Alcaraz, who’s also secured his Turin spot, has played 11 tournaments this year. Alexander Zverev has competed in 15 events, yet he still doesn’t have his ATP Finals qualification locked up (though he’s in pole position).
But Sinner’s made every tournament count.
He started 2025 by winning the Australian Open. That’s 2,000 ranking points right there. Then he reached finals in Rome and at Roland Garros, losing both to Alcaraz. Those runner-up finishes added another 1,950 points to his total.
His worst result of the season came at Halle, where he lost in just his second match. Even that "bad" result earned him 50 points.
Then came Wimbledon. Another title, another 2,000 points.
Do the math and that’s 6,000 points before this week’s Cincinnati Open even started. More than enough to guarantee his spot at the ATP Finals, which run from November 9-16 at Turin’s Inalpi Arena.
It’ll be his third straight appearance at the tournament. His record there? A ridiculous 10-2. Only Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev have managed to beat him.
The Race for Remaining Spots
With Alcaraz and Sinner already in, six spots remain up for grabs.
Djokovic is among those still fighting for qualification. But here’s the thing – even if he makes it, there’s real doubt about whether he’d actually show up. He skipped last year’s tournament entirely.
Right now, Alexander Zverev sits third in the ATP Race. He’s got a 220-point lead over Ben Shelton, who’s just ahead of Djokovic.
Behind them, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, Alex de Minaur, and Lorenzo Musetti occupy spots six through nine. The gap between them? Just 345 points. That’s practically nothing at this level.
There’s a bigger 435-point gap behind Musetti. If Djokovic decides to skip Turin again like last year, the other eight guys in the top nine would likely make up this year’s field.
Unless someone makes a serious run in Cincinnati or at the US Open.
Sinner’s Cincinnati Dominance Continues
Speaking of Cincinnati, Sinner just kicked off his title defense in style.
He demolished Daniel Elahi Galan 6-1, 6-1 in just 59 minutes. It was the quickest tour-level win of his entire career.
The ATP World No. 1 was pretty happy with how he played afterward. His next opponent is Gabriel Diallo, and Sinner knows serving well against the Canadian will be key. He definitely managed that against Galan.
"Matches are always more different than practice sessions, so I didn’t know exactly what to expect today. But I’m very happy. It’s not easy to play here, the ball is flying. You have to serve very precisely, but also with good pace if you want to go far in the tournament."
"Today I felt like I was serving in the spots I wanted. There is still room to improve, but as a first-round match, I couldn’t have wished [for more]. I am very happy to be back here, the crowd is amazing."
The conditions in Cincinnati are notoriously tricky. The ball flies more than usual, making precision serving absolutely crucial.
But for a guy who’s already secured his spot at year-end finals with months to spare? That’s probably not going to be much of a problem.
