The rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz has dominated tennis in 2025

Jannik Sinner draped his left arm and his racket around Carlos Alcaraz's neck. Alcaraz then put his right arm on Sinner’s shoulder.

The friendly greeting between the two players after the latest in a series of high-stakes matches was a fitting image for the year in men’s tennis.

Sinner and Alcaraz are dominating the game and their levels are so close that they keep alternating who wins the biggest titles.

Alcaraz beat Sinner in a fifth-set tiebreaker in the French Open final; Sinner got revenge at Wimbledon; Alcaraz won again at the U.S. Open; and then Sinner defended his ATP Finals title before his home fans in Turin on Sunday.

Alcaraz sealed the year-ending No. 1 ranking, while No. 2 Sinner goes into the offseason coming off a confidence-boosting victory over his rival.

“The facts are they’re a level above everyone,” said Felix Auger-Aliassime, who was beaten by both Sinner (in the group stage) and Alcaraz (in the semifinals) at the season-ending event for the top eight players.

“The ranking doesn’t lie. They’re the two best players. That’s the facts. Different game styles, but both put extreme pressure on their opponent in different ways,” added Auger-Aliassime, who ends the year at a career-high No. 5. “They keep showing up and playing good, so credit to them.”

Added ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi, “These two guys are really incredible for our sport, both on and off the court.”

It was the most-watched tennis match in Italian TV history with 7 million viewers, according to numbers released by the national ratings service Monday.

Sinner, who also won the Australian Open, reached the final of all four Grand Slams and the finals — despite missing three months near the start of the year after settling a doping case.

Like in 2024, Sinner didn’t drop a set at finals — becoming the first player in the event’s history to achieve that feat in two different years.

“I feel to be a better player than last year,” Sinner said. “All the losses I had, I tried to see the positive thing and trying to evolve me as a player. I felt like this happened in a very good way.”

Alcaraz acknowledged a year ago when he won only one match during the group stage at finals that he still had to learn how to play indoors.

Well, consider him adept at the surface now.

“I didn’t doubt about playing and fighting toe-to-toe with Jannik on indoor court,” Alcaraz said. “I’m pretty sure that it’s going to keep growing up, my level on indoor court.”

After the loss to Alcaraz at the U.S. Open, Sinner said he wanted to improve his serve and the results were evident in Turin where he dropped his serve only once — in the opening game of the second set against Alcaraz.

“He’s actually pumped up the miles per hour and he is getting the ball closer to the line, which means he gets a lot more free points,” Darren Cahill, one of Sinner’s coaches, said of the Italian's first serve.

There was also a big 187 kph (116 mph) second serve from Sinner that helped him save a set point against Alcaraz late in the second set.

“I had already served two or three second serves in the same way (in that game) and I kept on losing the point. So I had to come up with something different. I decided for the riskiest option,” Sinner said. “Sometimes you need a bit of courage and some luck. I would rather lose that point then have him win it.”

Added Alcaraz, “That surprised me.”

Auger-Aliassime also reached the U.S. Open semifinals in September, and his ranking rocketed up from No. 30 midway through the year.

“I’ve always believed, since I’m a kid believed, and my ambition was to win Grand Slams and be No. 1 in the world,” the Canadian said. “Now it’s a matter of doing the right things to improve. If I do, we’ll see where that leaves me.”

At 25, Auger-Aliassime is older than both Sinner (24) and Alcaraz (22).

“We want (Sinner) to be playing his best tennis when he’s 28, 29, 30 years of age,” Cahill said. “Hopefully we’re setting the plan and platform for him to be able to do that in a few years.”

While Alcaraz was heading to Bologna to represent Spain in the Davis Cup finals this week, Sinner was starting his offseason and already focusing on 2026.

Sinner will be the two-time defending champion at the Australian Open and then will attempt to win the French Open for the first time.

“Clay is going to be a big target for us next year,” Cahill said. “We’ll keep working on that.”

Andrew Dampf is at https://x.com/AndrewDampf

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz serves to Italy's Jannik Sinner during the final tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Italy's Jannik Sinner reacts after winning the final tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Italy's Jannik Sinner, left, and Spain's Carlos Alcaraz hug after the final tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, left, and winner Italy's Jannik Sinner stand on the podium after the final tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Italy's Jannik Sinner, left, and Spain's Carlos Alcaraz hug after the final tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

LONDON (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met French, German and British leaders in London on Monday as Kyiv’s European allies try to strengthen Ukraine’s hand in thorny talks on a U.S.-backed plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer gathered with Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the British leader’s 10 Downing St. residence.

Starmer shook hands with Merz on the doorstep of the residence, ignoring a reporter’s shouted questions. Macron arrived a few minutes later and also posed briefly for photographers with Starmer on the doorstep.

Zelenskyy arrived some 15 minutes after the others. As he entered the building with Starmer, he gestured toward the resident cat, Larry, who was loitering on the doorstep.

Zelenskyy said late Sunday that his talks with European leaders this week in London and Brussels will focus on security, air defense and long-term funding for Ukraine’s war effort. The leaders are working to ensure that any ceasefire is backed by solid security guarantees both from Europe and the U.S. to deter Russia from attacking again.

U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators completed three days of talks on Saturday aimed at trying to narrow differences on the U.S. administration’s peace proposal.

Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram that talks had been “substantive” and that National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov were traveling back to Europe to brief him.

A major sticking point in the proposal is the suggestion that Ukraine must cede control of its eastern Donbas region to Russia, which illegally occupies most but not all of the territory. Ukraine and its European allies have balked at the idea of handing over land.

Starmer said he “won’t be putting pressure” on Zelenskyy to accept a peace settlement.

“The most important thing is to ensure that if there is a cessation of hostilities, and I hope there is, it has to be just and it has to be lasting, which is what we will be focused on this afternoon,” he told broadcaster ITV.

In an exchange with reporters on Sunday night, U.S. President Donald Trump appeared frustrated with Zelenskyy, claiming the Ukrainian leader “hasn’t yet read the proposal.”

“Russia is, I believe, fine with it, but I’m not sure that Zelenskyy’s fine with it," Trump said before taking part in the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington. "His people love it, but he hasn't read it."

Trump has had a hot-and-cold relationship with Zelenskyy since riding into a second White House term insisting that the war was a waste of U.S. taxpayers’ money. Trump has also repeatedly urged the Ukrainians to cede land to Russia to bring an end to the nearly four-year conflict.

The European talks follow the publication of a new U.S. national security strategy that alarmed European leaders and was welcomed by Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the document, which spells out the administration’s core foreign policy interests, was largely in line with Moscow’s vision.

Speaking with journalists on Monday, Peskov said that the Kremlin welcomed the document’s focus on developing constructive relations with Russia.

“The nuances that we see in the new concept certainly look appealing to us,” he told reporters. “It mentions the need for dialogue and building constructive, friendly relations. This cannot but appeal to us, and it absolutely corresponds to our vision. We understand that by eliminating the irritants that currently exist in bilateral relations, a prospect may open for us to truly restore our relations and bring them out of the rather deep crisis.”

The document released Friday by the White House said the U.S. wants to improve its relationship with Russia after years of Moscow being treated as a global pariah and that ending the war is a core U.S. interest to “reestablish strategic stability with Russia.”

The document also says NATO must not be “a perpetually expanding alliance,” echoing another complaint of Russia’s. It was scathing about the migration and free speech policies of longstanding U.S. allies in Europe, suggesting they face the “prospect of civilizational erasure” due to migration.

Starmer’s government has declined to comment on the American document, saying it is a matter for the U.S. government.

Russian forces continued to attack Ukraine Monday as diplomatic efforts continued.

Russian drones struck a residential high-rise in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Okhtyrka overnight, injuring seven people, the head of the regional administration, Oleh Hryhorov, wrote on Telegram. He said that the building suffered extensive damage.

Elsewhere, in the northern city of Chernihiv, a Russian drone injured three people when it exploded outside a residential building, regional head Viacheslav Chaus said. The attack also damaged a kindergarten, domestic gas pipes and cars.

Ukraine’s Air Force said Monday that Russia fired a total of 149 drones across the country overnight, of which 131 were neutralized and 16 more struck their targets.

Meanwhile, Russian air defenses destroyed 67 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said Monday. The drones were shot down over 11 Russian regions, it said.

Novikov reported from Kyiv, Ukraine.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street, London, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, Larry the cat, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office walks past. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

From left, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron meet at 10 Downing Street, in London, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (Toby Melville/Pool Photo via AP)

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gestures while speaking as he takes part in a joint news conference with the Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin in Dublin, Ireland, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

FILE - French President Emmanuel Macron, right, welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Dec. 1, 2025 before a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Services on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, a rescue worker puts out a fire of a residential building damaged by a Russian strike in Sumy region, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Services on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, a rescue worker puts out a fire of a car in front of a residential building damaged by a Russian strike in Sumy region, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)