"Of course, it's fantastic to play against Jannik. I know I have to bring my A-game to beat him and win the tournament," said Alcaraz.
"We’re going to push each other to the highest level, and that’s going to be amazing for the fans," said the six-time Grand Slam winner after his outstanding performance in the semi-finals, where he defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-2, 6-4.
"It’s going to feel almost like a Davis Cup atmosphere."
And Sinner? After his comfortable straight-sets win over Alex de Minaur, he was looking forward to his third consecutive final in Turin: "These are the matches I love. They show me where my level is at before the off-season starts," said the South Tyrolean.
There are a few reasons to favour Sinner on Sunday, and it’s not just the home advantage in Turin. For one, Sinner is simply the best indoor hard-court player right now. He’s unbeaten in these conditions for 30 matches.
On top of that, he had a longer recovery period before the final - he played his last-four match a full six hours earlier on Saturday.
Alcaraz: "A great guy"
Still, Sinner isn’t the clear favourite, as Alcaraz has proven to be something of a nemesis for the Italian. Of their last eight meetings on tour, Alcaraz has won seven.
There’s another point: Alcaraz already has one achievement over Sinner this year. He will finish the season as world number one, regardless of the final’s outcome.
"Being number one is already a huge motivation for next year, but he’s earned it," Sinner told Sky. He also added that Alcaraz is a "great guy."
Frequent Encounters
These comments show just how unusually friendly the two great rivals have always been with each other.
"I see him more often than I see my mother," Alcaraz said in a joint CNN interview.
Still, Sunday’s match will be fiercely contested. The two exceptional talents have split all four Grand Slam titles between them in 2025. Sinner won the Australian Open and Wimbledon, while Alcaraz defeated the Italian in the finals of the French Open and US Open.