Under the bright lights of La Défense Arena, Jannik Sinner and Felix Auger-Aliassime will step onto court chasing significant milestones when they battle for the Rolex Paris Masters title on Sunday.
For Sinner, victory would mark his first Paris crown and seal a triumphant return to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, reclaiming it from rival Carlos Alcaraz. Meanwhile, Auger-Aliassime — up to eighth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin — can book his spot at the prestigious Nitto ATP Finals if he emerges victorious. Their championship clash is slated for not before 3 p.m. CEST/9 a.m. EDT.
The pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series stands at 2-2, though Sinner has claimed consecutive victories in Cincinnati and at the US Open this year. Their semi-final in New York was a gripping four-set encounter, with Auger-Aliassime briefly threatening to turn the tide before Sinner’s poise prevailed.
“At one point I saw him doubt and I actually nearly had a momentum shift where I could turn the match around in my favour,” Auger-Aliassime said of that match. “After different reasons, maybe he had a letdown, and the match turns around again. But it was encouraging to see that. These players are not unplayable. They are very strong, yes. Sometimes they’re really unplayable, but there’s a way to upset them.”
Those words will underpin the Canadian’s mindset on Sunday — belief that, on his day, he can strike through even the tightest of defences.
If Auger-Aliassime is to upset Sinner’s rhythm, he will need to summon his full tactical arsenal. Indoors, Sinner has been near invincible, riding a 25-match winning streak under the roof, dating back to the Davis Cup Finals in 2023. His flat, early ballstriking make him lethal on these slick surfaces.
For Auger-Aliassime, the key will be to step inside the baseline and mix up pace with heavy topspin and slices, using his net skills to shorten the points. Fortunately for him, the numbers inspire confidence: He owns a Tour-leading 82 indoor wins this decade, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.
This has been a season of revival for Auger-Aliassime, who has rediscovered his spark to capture three ATP Tour titles and return to the Top 10 for the first time since 2023. His run to a second ATP Masters 1000 final this week has been one of grit and composure, rallying from a set down in his first three matches, then capitalising on Lorenzo Musetti’s early exit to seize control of his Turin destiny.
“He plays incredible tennis at the moment, he has improved a lot,” Sinner said of Auger-Aliassime. “Especially in the past months, he has found his game again. I’m looking forward to it tomorrow, it’s a great occasion for both of us. I’m very happy for Felix, he is one of the nicest guys we have on Tour. It’s going to be a very difficult match.”
Watch Sinner & Auger-Aliassime set Paris final:
Sinner, meanwhile, has been a model of consistency in 2025, reaching the final in nine of the 11 tournaments he has contested. Yet it has not been without heartbreak. His Roland Garros final defeat to Alcaraz, in which he squandered three consecutive championship points, left deep scars, as did the loss of his 65-week reign as World No. 1 following their US Open final.
But every setback has fuelled his fire. In Paris this week, Sinner has been at his clinical best, dropping just 19 games across four matches en route to his ninth ATP Masters 1000 final. Now, he stands one match away from winning his fifth title at that level and reclaiming the World No. 1 spot.
As the Paris crowd prepares for the first final at the tournament’s new home of La Défense Arena, the stakes are high. Sinner is playing to confirm his dominance; Auger-Aliassime to remind the tennis world of his.
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