Good news for Alex de Minaur: He qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time in his career.
Bad news: He has to go up against Jannik Sinner in his opening match.
The most lopsided “rivalry” currently going on the ATP Tour and what is shaping up to be one of the most lopsided in tennis history will add another chapter when Sinner and De Minaur meet again on Sunday night in Turin. Sinner is sweeping the head-to-head series 7-0 and is 16-1 lifetime in total sets against De Minaur. The Italian is 4-0 indoors, most recently cruising past the Aussie 7-5, 6-4 earlier this season in Rotterdam.
There is no reason to think the tide will suddenly turn now–even though De Minaur is playing great. The world No. 8 is sporting a 47-19 record for his 2024 campaign and would have qualified for Turin in relatively comfortable fashion if not for a hip injury sustained right after he secured his spot in the Wimbledon quarterfinals. De Minaur is fully recovered at this point and his European indoor swing includes a semifinal showing in Vienna followed by a quarterfinal effort at the Paris Masters.
Sinner’s surged to the No. 1 ranking began in earnest last fall. He captured titles in Beijing and Vienna, finished runner-up at the Nitto ATP Finals, and led Italy to Davis Cup glory. The 23-year-old’s post-U.S. Open swing in 2024 already features a runner-up performance in Beijing (lost to Carlos Alcaraz in a third-set tiebreaker) and a title in Paris.
With Sinner in awesome form, playing in front of the home crowd, and facing an opponent who is making his tournament debut, another beatdown is likely in the cards.
Pick: Sinner in 2
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