Carlos Alcaraz has declared his strong motivation entering the ATP Finals, following a decisive victory over Alex de Minaur that brought him closer to securing the year-end world number one ranking. The 22-year-old Spaniard delivered a solid performance, winning his first match in the Jimmy Connors Group with a score of 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 in Turin, Italy, taking just one hour and 40 minutes to finish.
This marks Alcaraz’s third appearance at the prestigious season-ending tournament, although he has yet to reach the final. His journey to this point has been challenging; he withdrew due to injury last year, lost in the semi-finals during his tournament debut, and failed to advance from the group stage in previous years.
Currently, Alcaraz is competing against his rival Jannik Sinner for the top ranking, as Sinner recently reclaimed the number one spot following his triumph at the Paris Masters. Alcaraz expressed his excitement about this year’s tournament, stating, “I’ve been struggling in the past three years to come to the end of the year with energy and motivation. This year is a little bit different. I’m really proud about the way I’ve been doing things to come here with motivation. I’m really excited and looking forward to playing great tennis, and giving myself a shot to try to win this tournament.”
In other tournament news, two-time champion Alexander Zverev showcased his powerful serving technique to defeat American newcomer Ben Shelton with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) in the Bjorn Borg Group. With such performances, the ATP Finals promises to deliver thrilling matches as top-ranked players vie for the title.