Alcaraz Gets Nitto ATP Finals Campaign Off to Winning Start
Spain’s top seed Carlos Alcaraz opened his Nitto ATP Finals campaign in style on Sunday, defeating Australia’s Alex de Minaur 7-6(5), 6-2 in Turin. The victory gave Alcaraz a long-awaited opening win at the season-ending event, where he had lost his first matches in 2023 and 2024.
Alcaraz showed determination from the start, taking a 4-1 lead in the first set. De Minaur fought back, forcing a tense tie-break, but the Spaniard held his nerve to claim the set. He then dominated the second set, controlling the match to improve his head-to-head record against De Minaur to 5-0.
“This tournament is one of the best on Tour,” Alcaraz said. “We’re playing against the best players in the world. I’ve struggled in the past to finish the year with motivation, but this year is different. I’m proud of what I’m doing to give myself a shot to win this tournament.”
The one-hour, 40-minute victory also strengthens Alcaraz’s bid to finish the year as ATP World No. 1. He needs 250 more points in Turin to secure the honour over rival Jannik Sinner, with each round-robin win worth 200 points.
Alcaraz will next face either Taylor Fritz or Lorenzo Musetti in the Jimmy Connors Group on Tuesday. So far in 2025, he leads the Tour with 68 wins and eight trophies.
