Tennis LIVE: Alcaraz and Sinner relationship claim amid Djokovic scene

Tennis LIVE: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner relationship claim as Djokovic causes scene

Express Sport brings you all the latest news and updates as the ATP Tour season concludes in Turin.

The ATP Tour season reaches a fitting conclusion in Turin in Sunday, as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner face off in the championship match at the ATP Finals. It’s the sixth time they’ve met each other this season, and all six meetings have come in finals. Alcaraz leads their head-to-head 10-5 and is 5-1 against Sinner this year.

The Italian’s sole win came at Wimbledon, where he claimed his fourth Major title. But he was forced to retire with illness at the Cincinnati Open, and he also beat Alcaraz at the Six Kings Slam exhibition last month in an unofficial match.

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There’s a lot on the line in the ATP Finals final. Both men have gone undefeated across the group stage and semi-finals, and the champion will receive a staggering £3.86m ($5.07m) prize cheque. Sinner is also on a 30-match winning streak indoors, and a 14-match unbeaten run - but Alcaraz will try to end those. However, the world No. 1 is well aware that the Italian fans will be firmly on Sinner’s side.

Follow along below for Express Sport’s live updates from the ATP Finals and beyond…

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3 mins ago15:32 Yasmin Syed

Heliovaara and Patten win ATP Finals!

Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten are the ATP Finals champions!

The No. 2 seeds lost just one match during the round-robin stage earlier this week, to Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski. But they got revenge over the British team in Sunday’s final, winning 7-5 6-3.

Fellow Brit Patten fired down three aces in the final game to clinch victory.

It’s their fourth title of the season after winning the Australian Open, China Open, and Paris Masters.

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14 mins ago15:21 Yasmin Syed

Alcaraz 'doesn't want to believe' his own Sinner claims

Carlos Alcaraz has claimed that Jannik Sinner is the favourite to win the ATP Finals final - even though he has a 10-5 record over his biggest rival, and has won five of their six official matches this year.

Sinner is on a 30-match winning streak on indoor hard courts and is playing at home in Italy, so it's no surprise Alcaraz is wary, even if he doesn't want to believe it!

"Who is the favourite? I mean, the No. 1 means that I've been playing really good during the whole season, in the whole surfaces," he smiled.

"He's playing the best on indoor court. We're playing in front of his home crowd. I would say he's the favourite. Don't want to believe it, but I would say he's the favourite for tomorrow I guess."

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37 mins ago14:58 Yasmin Syed

Heliovaara and Patten in the lead

Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten have stolen the first set of the doubles final. It’s been neck-and-neck so far, but Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski came under pressure with Salisbury serving to stay in the set at 5-6.

The British-Finnish duo managed to break to take it 7-5 in 45 minutes as Skupski sent the ball into the net.

50 mins ago14:45 Yasmin Syed

Doctor called to the court during final

The doctor has been called to the court during the men’s doubles final, chatting to British star Joe Salisbury. The world No. 10 had food poisoning earlier in the week but he and his partner, Neal Skupski, have still reached the championship match with an undefeated 4-0 record.

Sky Sports commentator Jonathan Overend said Salisbury did not receive any treatment but was seen shaking his head while in conversation with the doctor.

1 hour ago14:28 Yasmin Syed

Alcaraz and Sinner meet in another final

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will face off for the sixth time this season, and all six meetings have come in finals. Alcaraz i 5-1 against the Italian this year - and he's just glad that he's reaching the latter stages of the biggest events.

Ahead of Sunday's final, the world No. 1 said: "Well, I just happy to see myself in those finals, to be honest. That means the level we are doing, we're playing during the whole season, playing great tennis consistently.

"Jannik and I playing finals. I think every time we face against each other, we raise our level, which I think for the tennis, for the tour, for the crowd is great match to watch. But I think that means we are putting a really good work on it."

2 hours ago14:04 Yasmin Syed

Doubles final getting underway

The doubles final at the ATP Finals is about to get underway - and there's plenty of British interest!

British duo Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski face the Finnish-Brit pairing of Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten, whom they beat during the round-robin stage earlier in the week.

Salisbury has not lost an ATP Finals match since 2021 and he's hoping to keep that streak alive. This is also the last match he's playing alongside Skupski before they break up next year.

2 hours ago13:56 Tom Parsons

Alcaraz goes back on Sinner friendship comment

Carlos Alcaraz has somewhat backtracked on comments last year over the friendship between him and rival Jannik Sinner.

Speaking last year following a dramatic China Open final over Sinner, Alcaraz spoke about the rivalry between the two. "Once we are on tour, travelling, at tournaments, on site, we are with our teams and on our own, so we don't speak too much," he told Sky Sports Tennis.

But speaking to TNT Sports ahead of the ATP Finals, Alcaraz said: "It is quite good, the relationship we have off court is really good, he is a really nice person, he has really nice people around him, which is great, having time to talk to him about life, not only tennis."

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2 hours ago13:24 Tom Parsons

Sinner the favourite for silverware

Jannik Sinner has been made the favourite to win today’s showpiece match against Carlos Alcaraz at the ATP Finals. The Italian is priced at 8/13, while his opponent is being offered at 6/5.

The duo have already met in three Grand Slam finals this year, with the Spaniard beating Sinner in the French Open and US Open finals. Sinner, however, won their final at Wimbledon.

3 hours ago12:11 Aaron Morris

What time is today's final?

Carlos Alcaraz faces Jannik Sinner in the final of the ATP Finals at 5pm today.

4 hours ago11:45 Aaron Morris

Carlos Alcaraz makes desperate ATP Finals request before £3.9m Jannik Sinner showdown

Carlos Alcaraz made a hilarious request to the fans at the ATP Finals ahead of his showdown with his biggest rival, Jannik Sinner. The young champions are facing off for the sixth time this season, with all six meetings coming in finals. They’ve both reached the championship match in Turin undefeated, meaning the champion will take home £3.9m ($5.07m) in prize money.

Although Alcaraz has already secured the year-end No. 1 ranking and holds a 10-5 record against Sinner, it won’t be easy for him to come out on top in Turin, as he’ll also be playing against the Italian fans. But the six-time Major winner has kindly asked that “at least three or four” people cheer for him.

Read the full story here.

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4 hours ago11:08 Aaron Morris

'I was paid £118k for training with Carlos Alcaraz for two hours but I hate tennis'

Tennis star Alexander Bublik has received an astonishing amount of money for merely practicing with world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. However, if his past comments are anything to go by, the controversial Kazakh star won't have enjoyed a minute of it.

Bublik,28, is having a major moment currently. He is at the ATP Finals for the first time in his career. The world No. 11 is operating as first alternate in Turin, meaning he will be called up to replace any player who pulls out of the tournament during the group stage.

Alternates receive £118,000 just for turning up and remaining on the premises of the competition. Bublik earned just short of £120k for two hours training with Alcaraz on Saturday at the Inalpi Arena in the capital of the Piedmont region, with the Spanish superstar getting the better of Bublik. Yet the Russian-born star may care little about the result. Some time ago Bublik, who is known for his outspoken ways, confessed that he "hates" having to play tennis every day.

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5 hours ago10:32 Aaron Morris

Novak Djokovic was 'uncomfortable' in Piers Morgan interview and refused question

Novak Djokovic admitted he was not “comfortable” during his interview with Piers Morgan as he refused to answer whether he should be regarded as the greatest tennis player of all time. The Serbian superstar recently sat down with the broadcaster for a chat about his life on and off the court, with the interview being released earlier in the week.

Djokovic has won a record 24 men’s Grand Slam singles titles throughout his illustrious career, with his most recent triumph at a Major coming in 2023 when he overcame Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final. The 38-year-old, who moved to Greece earlier this year, reached the semi-finals of every Grand Slam this year but now struggles to match Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz on the court.

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6 hours ago10:02 Aaron Morris

Serena Williams reveals sport she really wanted to go into before dad 'crushed dreams'

Serena Williams has revealed how her dad “crushed” her dreams of making it in an entirely different sport. Williams is widely considered to be the greatest female tennis star of all time, having left an indelible mark on the sport prior to her retirement in 2022.

The 44-year-old, from Compton, California, won an incredible 23 Grand Slam singles titles, along with a further 14 women’s Grand Slam doubles titles alongside her older sister, Venus. Her glittering career spanned almost four decades, having first picked up a racquet at the age of four and turned professional in 1995.

Their dad, Richard, home-schooled them as children and also acted as one of the sisters’ official coaches, even pulling them out of Rick Macci’s academy to coach them himself. His meticulous methods proved crucial in what his daughters went on to achieve, leaving them with very few regrets in the long term.

Read the full story here.

6 hours ago09:30 Aaron Morris

Novak Djokovic spotted in passionate scene in support of club

Novak Djokovic was spotted pulling his shirt over his head in frustration as he watched Crvena Zvezda secure a 91-79 win over Monaco in the Euroleague.

An admirer of the basketball side, Djokovic was spotted in the stands at the Beogradska Arena on Thursday evening.

In a video uploaded to social media, Djokovic can be seen wearing a look of disappointment on his face, pulling his shirt over his head as emotions clearly ran high - though to be after missed throw for his team.

7 hours ago08:48 Aaron Morris

Boris Becker believes Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are changing tennis with their friendship

Boris Becker has explained that there's been a substantial shift in the world of tennis as of late, as evidenced by the friendship between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Despite two of the world's greatest players battling frequently on the court, the two have an impeccable bond and aren't shy of being friendly with one another.

And it's something that Becker didn't see with his own rivals in his day. Speaking to Gazzetta Italy, he said: "In our time, we weren't friends.

"That didn't exist. Imagine me being friends with [John] McEnroe or [Ivan] Lendl...impossible. I got along well with Stefan Edberg, I respected him a lot, but it wasn't like now."

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