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Only a few days prior to the season-ending climax of the men's tour in Turin, the Sinner and Alcaraz spectacle had kicked off. Even though the two competitors are competing intensely to settle the year-end No 1 ranking, speculation circulated that they were arranged to practice with each other. As expected, that afternoon they entered the center court in unison and were greeted by deafening roars from a large crowd.

A Training Match That Gripped the Tennis World

The practice set that came next drew similar focus as numerous contests this season. Countless spectators watched live to watch the live stream, and recaps were quickly posted later. The scores from training matches are often confined to the practice court, but on this unique event the tennis world soon discovered that Sinner had concluded the session with a triumphant set. They commemorated the moment with a snapshot that quickly went viral across the internet.

"This is their tour currently. Even when Alcaraz suffered a disappointing result in his first game at the Paris Masters, the trend that has shaped this men's tennis year continued with Sinner's subsequent victory: on each occasion Alcaraz and Sinner have played at a tournament this season, either player has concluded the tournament with the trophy."

The Big Query: Who Can Stop Them?

After years of expectations and forecasts about dominance, these performances are reflective of two unique talents who have already established themselves as all-time greats at such an early stage. But this campaign has also highlighted the shortcomings of the quality of the rest of the field. Prior to the Turin event, the biggest inquiry is if any competitor is truly able of defeating Alcaraz and Sinner.

The Hopefuls

At the moment, their prospects are dim. Based on the world rankings, the German star is the third best player in the world. He also currently holds a fraction as many ranking points as Alcaraz at number two. He remains one of the most successful players to have failed to secure a big championship, but he has been dominated by Sinner and Alcaraz in their key encounters and the difference only appears to be growing. After getting utterly dominated by Sinner in the first major of the year, his campaign has been lackluster.

Given he advanced to the last four of all four grand slam tournaments this season, Novak Djokovic has proven that he is probably the third strongest competitor in the world. In theory, his opportunities of beating the top two are higher over three-set matches and on indoor courts than in five-set battles, but he competes in the Greek tournament finale and he is still undecided if he will compete in Turin. The five matches in his legs over the recent days would certainly be further detrimental to his prospects for victory in Turin.

There are more doubts among the other players. Taylor Fritz has experienced an excellent year, securing his place among the elite. His psychological fortitude, continued improvement and the well-rounded game he has built supported by his powerful delivery is praiseworthy but it is tough not to perceive him as a player who is eking out all of his ability, instead of a contender with enough room for improvement to bridge the gap to the dominant duo.

New Faces and Established Names

In his debut in the season finale, the young American is the least experienced of the six challengers and perhaps the intriguing newcomer. Firstly, with his incredible power, all-court aggression and fitness, he has enormous potential. But there are also deficiencies in his skills, particularly his backhand and return of serve, that Sinner and Alcaraz have exploited with ease.

Alex de Minaur has admirably reached the ATP Finals for a second time in his professional life but his game is lacking in firepower against the elite players. The remaining berth in the draw will be decided on the weekend. If the Italian hopeful beat Djokovic to win the Greek tournament, he would jump ahead of the high-performing Canadian star in the qualification battle to become the last direct entry.

Notable Absences

Equally significant as the competitors in Turin are the missing names. The notable declines of Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev, three perennial top-10 players not very long ago, have done little to bolster the competition. The serious injuries to the British talent, in the middle of a breakthrough year, and the French prodigy, the highly gifted 21-year-old who seemed to be in the throes of a landmark season, have diminished the field of challengers. Nobody else has made significant strides to stepping up.

The Ultimate Conclusion

For anyone other than Sinner and Alcaraz, the idea of claiming this year's ATP Finals seems very remote. Nevertheless, in a competition showcasing the best players in the world, with the spotlight firmly on the shoulders of the two favourites, all games is an opportunity for the underdog to show what they are made of. The coming week will determine who, should there be any, is equipped to rise to the occasion.