Carlos Alcaraz has officially finished the season as the year-ending World No. 1, after defeating Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-1 at the ATP Finals in Turin on Thursday.
The 22 year old needed one more win to stay ahead of Jannik Sinner in the rankings, and he delivered with a confident performance.
This is the second time Alcaraz has ended the season at No. 1.
He first achieved the milestone in 2022 as a 19 year old, becoming the youngest year end No. 1 in men’s tennis history.
Against Musetti, Alcaraz started strong and grew more dominant as the match went on.
The Italian stayed competitive in the first set, helped by a few unforced errors from the Spaniard, but Alcaraz raised his level when it mattered most.
Musetti dropped the set 4-6 and could not respond in the second. Alcaraz quickly went up 5-1, secured another break, and finished the match in less than 90 minutes.
Speaking after his win, Alcaraz said,
“The match was really important for me, playing for Year-End No. 1. I tried to handle the pressure the best I could.”
He added that achieving the top ranking was a major goal, but he isn’t done yet:
“Part of the job is done, but I’m excited to keep going.”
The win also means Alcaraz finished 3-0 in the Jimmy Connors group and advanced to the semifinals.
He will now face either Alexander Zverev or Felix Auger-Aliassime, depending on results in the Bjorn Borg group.
While Alcaraz has already won six Grand Slam titles, one trophy still missing from his cabinet is the ATP Finals title.
With his current form, fans are expecting another showdown between him and Sinner in the final.
