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Just a few days prior to the grand finale of the ATP season in the Italian city of Turin, the Sinner and Alcaraz spectacle had already begun. Even though the two competitors are competing intensely to settle the top spot for the season, rumours swirled that they were set to share a training session. Sure enough, that afternoon they entered the center court side-by-side and were welcomed by deafening roars from a large crowd.

An Exhibition Set That Fascinated the Global Audience

The practice set that followed drew similar focus as plenty of games this year. Thousands of viewers watched live to watch the live stream, and key moments were swiftly available following the event. The scores from practice sets are often confined to the practice court, but on this instance the sporting community quickly learned that Sinner had wrapped up with a victory by 6-3. They marked the occasion with a photo that quickly went viral through social media.

"The tour belongs to them now. Even when Carlos endured a poor loss in his opening match at the Paris Masters, the pattern that has characterized this year's ATP season continued with Sinner's subsequent victory: on each occasion the rivals have played at a tournament this year, either player has concluded the tournament with the trophy."

The Big Query: Is There a Challenger?

Following a long period of hype and projections about control, these performances are demonstrative of two special players who have already established themselves as all-time greats at such a tender age. But this campaign has also reflected badly on the caliber of the rest of the field. Ahead of the season finale, the most significant question is if any competitor is seriously capable of defeating Alcaraz and Sinner.

The Contenders

Currently, their chances are dim. According to the official standings, the German star is the number three in the world. He also currently holds fewer than half as many tour points as Alcaraz at the second spot. Zverev remains one of the most decorated athletes to have never won a grand slam tournament, but he has been outplayed by Sinner and Alcaraz in their key encounters and the disparity only looks to be increasing. After getting totally overwhelmed by Sinner in the first major of the year, the German's year has been disappointing.

Taking into account he advanced to the last four of all four grand slam tournaments this year, the Serbian legend has proven that he is probably the third strongest competitor in the world. On paper, his chances of defeating the top two are greater over shorter formats and indoors than during the majors, but he competes in the Athens final and he is has not confirmed if he will participate in the Finals. The five matches in his system over the past week would certainly be an additional hindrance to his prospects for victory in Italy.

Further questions exist among the other players. Taylor Fritz has had an excellent year, establishing himself in the upper echelon. His mental strength, continued improvement and the versatile playing style he has built complemented by his enormous serve is admirable but it is difficult to avoid viewing him as a player who is squeezing out all of his capability, as opposed to a player with sufficient scope for improvement to bridge the gap to the top two.

New Faces and Established Names

In his maiden appearance at the Finals, Ben Shelton is the most junior of the other qualifiers and perhaps the biggest wildcard. For one thing, with his nuclear serve, comprehensive offensive style and physical prowess, he has enormous potential. But there are also weaknesses in his play, especially his backhand side and ability to handle serves, that Sinner and Alcaraz have taken advantage of effortlessly.

The Australian competitor has successfully qualified for the ATP Finals for a second time in his professional life but his playing style is lacking in firepower against the very best. The final spot in the lineup will be determined on the weekend. If Lorenzo Musetti overcome the Serbian to win the Greek tournament, he would leapfrog the red-hot Félix Auger-Aliassime in the qualification battle to become the last direct entry.

Key Missing Players

Similarly noteworthy as the participants in Turin are the non-participants. The significant difficulties of three former top players, regular high-ranked athletes in the recent past, have failed to strengthen the competition. The major physical issues to Jack Draper, in the middle of a breakthrough year, and Arthur Fils, the immensely talented 21-year-old who seemed to be in the midst of a landmark season, have weakened the field of challengers. Not a single competitor has gotten near to stepping up.

The Final Verdict

Apart from the dominant pair, the idea of claiming this Turin tournament seems highly unlikely. However, in a tournament including the finest athletes in the world, with the pressure firmly on the shoulders of the leading contenders, each contest is an chance for the competitor to demonstrate what they are capable of. The next few days will reveal which player, if anyone at all, is ready to step up.