Carlos Alcaraz produced a spirited comeback and defeated Taylor Fritz 6-7 (2/7), 7-5, 6-3 at the ATP Finals in Turin on Tuesday.
The five-time Grand Slam champion now stands one win away from reclaiming the year-end world number one ranking.
Alcaraz lost the top spot to Jannik Sinner after the Paris Masters earlier this month. However, he will finish 2025 at the summit if he beats Lorenzo Musetti on Thursday. Moreover, the Spaniard has already won two matches in the Jimmy Connors Group, strengthening his bid for the semifinals. His qualification also depends on Alex de Minaur’s result against Musetti in the second group match.
“I’m really happy that I was able to come back, find my good tennis,” Alcaraz said after the victory. “I just tried to make the most of the opportunities that he gave to me. I think we played great tennis, some great points.”
The win extended Alcaraz’s head-to-head record against Fritz to 5-1. The Americans’ only success came at the Laver Cup in September. Fritz, last year’s runner-up, will face De Minaur in his final group contest.
The match highlighted Alcaraz’s resilience. Fritz captured the opening set in a tie-break after 70 minutes, firing six aces. Nevertheless, Alcaraz responded with grit in the second set, saving break points in a draining 21-minute service game before capitalising on Fritz’s errors to level the contest. Finally, in the decider, Alcaraz seized momentum with a crucial break in the sixth game and closed out the match with authority, serving to love and sealing victory as Fritz sent a backhand wide.
Ultimately, the Spaniard’s triumph keeps him firmly in contention for the year-end number one ranking, while Sinner must defend his Finals title unbeaten to challenge Alcaraz’s position.
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