Sinner opens ATP Finals title defence by beating Auger-Aliassime

Jannik Sinner got his title defence at the ATP Finals off to a solid start before his home fans with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Felix Auger-Aliassime on Monday.

To also claim the year-end No. 1 ranking, Sinner needs to win the season-ending event for the top eight players and hope Carlos Alcaraz doesn't reach the final.

No. 8-ranked Auger-Aliassime appeared slowed by a left calf issue and was twice treated by a trainer during the second set.

Sinner won the title in Turin last year without dropping a set and hasn't lost at the event since the 2023 final to Novak Djokovic.

Sinner has also won all four of his meetings with Auger-Aliassime this year, including a U.S. Open semifinal and the recent Paris Masters final.

Sinner and Alexander Zverev lead the Bjorn Borg group with one win each after Zverev beat Ben Shelton on Sunday.

The top two finishers in each group advance to the semifinals.

Earlier, Taylor Fritz beat late entry Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-4. Musetti was a late replacement for Djokovic, who withdrew with an injured shoulder after beating the Italian in the Athens final on Saturday.

Fritz and Alcaraz lead the Jimmy Connors group with one win each, while De Minaur and Musetti trail with one loss each.