Imagine facing a seemingly unbeatable streak—that’s exactly the challenge Jannik Sinner is prepared for as he approaches his highly-anticipated semifinal match against Alex de Minaur at the ATP Finals. However, here’s where it gets controversial: despite his perfect record of 12 wins and no losses against the Australian, Sinner explicitly emphasizes that past results won’t influence their upcoming encounter. He believes that every match is a new story, and the history between them has limited relevance in this moment.
On Friday, Sinner secured his place in the semifinals by defeating Ben Shelton with scores of 6-3, 7-6 (3), finishing the Bjorn Borg Group with an undefeated 3-0 record. This victory marked his third straight qualification into the knockout stages of the season-ending tournament, highlighting his consistency and resilience.
Standing in his way will be a resilient de Minaur, who surprisingly advanced with a 1-2 record within the group to reach the semifinals. Sinner’s dominance over de Minaur in their head-to-head matches is undeniable—he has defeated him all 12 times they’ve faced off, with only twice losing a set to the Australian so far. This perfect record has led many to consider Sinner the favorite, yet he remains cautious.
When asked if his 12-0 record should influence how he approaches the match, Sinner responded with humility: “No. Of course, what happened before happened. We both know the history of our matches, and he’s come close in a few of them. Especially this season, we’ve played in different settings and on different courts, so I don’t think past wins necessarily predict what will happen now. We’ll see what occurs on Saturday.”
He also highlighted how quickly the dynamics in tennis can shift—referencing de Minaur’s recent tough loss where he appeared deflated, only to bounce back swiftly. Sinner pointed out that tennis can change dramatically from one day to the next, citing his own match against Taylor that demonstrated how performance can vary significantly within short periods.
In recent meetings this year, Sinner crushed de Minaur in straight sets at the Australian Open and Vienna. Meanwhile, in Beijing, de Minaur managed to take one set from him before Sinner ultimately won 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. These performances underscore the ongoing competitive rivalry, even amidst the dominance Sinner has displayed.
So, as the semifinal spot arrives, many fans are curious—will the past serve as a blueprint, or will this be a fresh chapter where anything can happen? Despite the impressive head-to-head record, Sinner’s emphasis on the unpredictability of tennis invites us all to question whether history really influences future outcomes. Do you agree that past victories can or cannot predict what’s next? Share your thoughts below and join the conversation.