Nine days after their showdown in the Paris Masters final, Jannik Sinner once again came out on top, cruising past Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-5, 6-1. After a tight opening set, Sinner shifted gears, taking full control as Auger-Aliassime, dealing with a calf issue, struggled to keep up. The Italian broke early for a 3-0 lead and never looked back, sealing the win with an ace after just an hour and 41 minutes. It was another statement win from the 23-year-old, and even Roger Federer’s former coach couldn’t help but take notice.

Just hours ago, user @jannik_files shared Ivan Ljubicic’s take on Sinner’s raw power after the ATP Finals. “The power of his baseline shots… the second he puts both feet on the ground, I’m not saying he goes to the max, but almost. He’s scary,” Ljubicic said. And that wasn’t all, as he went on to rave about how balanced and explosive Sinner looks when everything clicks.

“He’s calm; he’s a skier, so he’s balanced. The second he has his feet well placed, his speed is insane, on both sides,” continued Ljubicic. His roots in competitive skiing in childhood have likely helped Sinner with explosive movement and keeping a low center of gravity. He even revealed that skiing helped him hone his mental game in tennis due to the do-or-die nature of the winter sport.

Those qualities were on full display in the opener. From the very first game, Jannik Sinner made his intentions clear, holding to love and dropping only three points on serve in the opening set. His combination of laser-sharp backhands and forehands down the line kept Felix Auger-Aliassime constantly under pressure.

Still, the Canadian fought hard, firing eight aces to Sinner’s one in that first set, often right when he needed them most. But in crunch time, Sinner rose to the moment, breaking serve to seal the opener with authority.

With this latest win, Jannik Sinner has now extended his incredible indoor hard-court streak to 27 straight victories, his last loss on the surface coming at the hands of Novak Djokovic in the 2023 ATP Finals championship match.

The Italian is now locked in a thrilling year-end battle with Carlos Alcaraz for the world No. 1 ranking. For Sinner to finish on top, he’ll need to defend his title in Turin undefeated, hoping Alcaraz stumbles. On the other hand, Alcaraz can clinch the crown by winning just one more match following his opening two victories.

So, while Ivan Ljubicic couldn’t stop raving about the Italian’s poise and power, what does the Canadian think of the four-time Grand Slam winner after their recent clash?

Jannik Sinner draws high praise for his pinpoint accuracy

Felix Auger-Aliassime returned to the ATP Finals for the first time in three years after putting together an impressive second half of the season. Despite injury concerns that forced him out of Metz, heading into Turin, the Canadian had offered a reassuring update before his opener.

However, those worries resurfaced during his first match against Jannik Sinner. Still, even after the loss, Auger-Aliassime couldn’t help but praise the Italian’s incredible level of play.

In his post-match press conference, Felix Auger-Aliassime was asked if he thinks Sinner is the best server and returner of all time. He didn’t go that far, but he made it clear that Sinner is right up there among the best he’s ever faced. “That I’ve played, yeah,” he said, explaining that while he never got to face Roger Federer in his prime, Sinner’s serving accuracy and consistency make him stand out.

Auger-Aliassime pointed out how Sinner started the match serving lights out, hitting nearly 80% of his first serves in the opening set and often right on the lines. “Also returning, doesn’t really miss second-serve returns,” he added, noting that even Sinner’s rare errors on return were exceptions to the rule. To him, Sinner has “probably the best combination” of serving and returning among the players he’s faced.

With the loss, the 25-year-old now faces the challenge of bouncing back both physically and mentally. The Canadian will aim to keep his ATP Finals hopes alive when he takes on American Ben Shelton in his next round-robin match.