Daijiworld Media Network - Paris

Paris, Nov 3: Italy’s Jannik Sinner captured his maiden Paris Masters crown on Sunday, defeating Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) to reclaim the world number one ranking. The victory marked a defining moment in the 24-year-old’s stellar season, as he dethroned Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz following the latter’s early exit from the tournament.

Sinner, who first rose to the top spot in June last year and held it for 65 weeks before losing the US Open final to Alcaraz in September, regained the crown in emphatic fashion. The triumph in Paris was made even sweeter after the Italian had previously lost a dramatic five-set final to Alcaraz at Roland Garros earlier this season.

Despite serving a three-month suspension early in 2025 after testing positive twice for traces of clostebol, Sinner has bounced back strongly, winning five titles this year, including the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Sunday’s win was his first ATP Masters 1000 title since Shanghai last October.

For ninth seed Auger-Aliassime, the defeat denied him a chance to secure a direct berth at the ATP Finals later this month. However, his strong run in Paris propelled him ahead of Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in the race to Turin, keeping his qualification hopes alive.

Sinner displayed commanding form throughout the final. He broke Auger-Aliassime’s serve in the opening game and maintained his advantage with powerful baseline rallies and clinical serving. The first set saw only one break point — the one Sinner converted.

The Canadian, showing resilience, saved multiple break points early in the second set and pushed the match into a tie-break. But Sinner remained composed under pressure, surging ahead 3-2 in the decider and sealing the title with a stunning backhand down the line on his first championship point.

With this victory, Sinner not only lifted the Paris Masters trophy for the first time but also returned to the summit of world tennis, reaffirming his dominance in a season that has already seen him rise to new heights.