The ATP Finals drew to a conclusion on Sunday with Jannik Sinner emerging victorious over Carlos Alcaraz.
The world number two defended the crown he won for the first time last season, with Sinner going a second successive year at the event without dropping a set.
Alcaraz praised Sinner after his 7-6, 7-5 defeat and for the Spaniard, and it’s fair to say that he didn’t play badly during the final.
A hamstring injury hampered Alcaraz, and after withdrawing from the Davis Cup, he will now focus on rest and recuperation ahead of a busy January that will see him try to complete a career Grand Slam at the Australian Open.
Watching Sinner and Alcaraz play in another final did offer some food for thought on the ATP Finals. Now, one rule change is necessary to make the tournament more watchable.
The one exciting rule change that the ATP Finals needs to make
The ATP Finals have been running for a long time, but they haven’t always been in this format.
From the first final in 1972 through to 2007, the final of the tournament was always played in Grand Slam style, featuring a five-set final.
That threw up a number of high-quality finals, not least the five-set classic in 1996 between Boris Becker and Pete Sampras and in 2002 when Lleyton Hewitt defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Ultimately, having a five-set final brought proper closure to the season and provided the two finalists with the ultimate test to prove that they were the best players of that calendar year.
Sinner and Alcaraz have played some brilliant matches this year, but seeing the season come down with a two-set whimper does make the tournament feel somewhat underwhelming.
Tennis fans would welcome the change in the qualification criteria for the ATP Finals but that does feel somewhat unlikely.
With that in mind, this tweak to the final would at least see the end of the tournament finish with a flourish and give the paying supporters the chance to see the two best players compete under Grand Slam conditions.
Alcaraz has made the right Davis Cup decision
Although Sinner deserved his win over Alcaraz, it was aided by the Spaniard having his hamstring heavily strapped after the first set.
It seemed very unlikely at the time that he would participate in the Davis Cup, and now the obvious has become a reality with Alcaraz choosing not to risk things.
Winning the Australian Open should be the next challenge for the Spaniard, and completing the career Grand Slam aged 22 would make him the youngest to ever achieve the feat.
A five-set final at the ATP Finals feels like it would be a positive step from a spectator point of view, but given that players are already up in arms at the schedule, it’s unlikely to be a popular decision.
The ATP Finals do need a spruce up, however, and it will be interesting to see if the ATP come up with anything.
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