Carlos Alcaraz said he arrives at the ATP Finals with "a lot of motivation" and is looking to make his mark in Turin next week. 

Alcaraz, who claimed two grand slam titles at the French Open and Wimbledon this year, missed the event in 2022 after picking up an internal oblique muscle tear. 

The Spaniard was then beaten in straight sets by Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, though the Olympic champion has since withdrawn from this year's tournament with an ongoing injury issue. 

Alcaraz, however, enters the year-end competition with a win-loss record of 52-11, with only Jannik Sinner (12) claiming more top 10 wins in 2024 than the 21-year-old (11). 

“Last year was a difficult end of the year for me,” Alcaraz said. “I could not play at my best.

"The last two matches here were pretty good matches for me, but the previous two, three tournaments I didn’t play at my best, so I realised I had to change a little bit at this time of the year, which I did this year.

“I come here a little bit different. I approach this tournament a little differently, knowing there are things I have to change if I am to have a good result here and go far.

"Last year I didn’t start well from the first matches. I will try to play at the same level and will try to play good tennis. I am coming here with a lot of motivation.”

Alcaraz was drawn in the John Newcombe Group at the ATP Finals alongside Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev.

He will start against Ruud on Monday, but might face the strongest competition in the group from Zverev, who claimed his seventh Masters 1000 title at the Paris Masters. 

Among the qualifiers for this year's event, Zverev (14) and Daniil Medvedev (11) are the only two to have recorded 10 or more match wins at the ATP Finals.

Alcaraz and Zverev have faced each other 10 times, winning five apiece, though Alcaraz has won the last two, including at Roland-Garros in the French Open showpiece.

“He is one of the toughest players in the world for sure,” Alcaraz said about Zverev.

“I think I return pretty well but he has a really big serve and plays unbelievable from the baseline, which makes him a really tough opponent to face.

“He has won more than 20 ATP Tour titles, lots of Masters titles. He wants a Grand Slam and I told him he is going to get it for sure.

"At the end of his career he will get at least one, let's see if more.

"He deserves it. He is a really hard worker. He has lifted the big trophies. I don’t like to face him because of his serves and shots, but I am trying to find the beauty of playing him.”

The end of the 2024 season is upon us, but before the ATP Tour wraps up until 2025, there is one final big tournament to come.

That season finale is, of course, the ATP Finals, and it kicks off in Turin on Sunday, with eight of the world's top players vying for the prize.

Jannik Sinner is already sure of his place as the year-end number one, but there could be movement in the rankings below him, with Alexander Zverev heading into the tournament as the newly minted world number two, ahead of Carlos Alcaraz.

Reigning champion Novak Djokovic withdrew on Monday, meaning for the first time since 2001, none of the "big three" (Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer) will feature at the ATP Finals.

Djokovic beat Sinner last year to claim his seventh ATP Finals title, which is the most times a player has won the competition.

Sinner, fresh from triumphs at Flushing Meadows and the Shangai Masters, heads to Turin as the favourite, with an eighth title on the line, but let's look ahead to the 2024 ATP Finals with Opta's pre-tournament facts.

Sin(ner) City

Sinner will not only be the firm fan favourite in Turin, he will always be the favourite to claim the crown.

The 23-year-old has already collected a Tour-leading seven titles this season, including the Australian Open and the US Open, and will be out to go one better following his loss to Djokovic in last year's final.

 

Six of Sinner's victories have come on hard court, with his triumph at the Halle Open the only exception. 

The Italian is only the fifth player aged 23 or under to win at least six Tour-level titles on hard courts in a calendar year after Jimmy Connors (1973), Ivan Lendl (1981), Pete Sampras (1994) and Federer (2004).

Since the ATP's redistribution of ranking points in 2009, only Djokovic (2015) and Nadal (2010) have clinched the year-end number one earlier in a season than Sinner in 2024.

He is out to become the seventh player to win the ATP Finals on home soil in the Open Era, and will be the player to beat in Turin.

Alcaraz and Zverev scrapping for second

Zverev comes into the tournament in excellent form, on the back of winning the Paris Masters.

His triumph in France not only saw him move into second place in the rankings, but also saw him claim his 66th match win, which is more than any other player in 2024 (Sinner is second on 65).

Among the qualifiers for this year's event, Zverev (14) and Daniil Medvedev (11) are the only two to have recorded 10+ match wins at the ATP Finals.

Zverev is only 27, but he is comparatively a veteran at the ATP Finals when stacked up against the other players to have qualified for this year's event. The German will be featuring at the tournament for the seventh time.

 

Since the rankings were first published in 1973, Boris Becker (four) holds the most wins over the world number one at the ATP Finals – Federer and Zverev have the next-most such wins, with three each.

Among players with multiple matches against the world number one at the ATP Finals, Zverev (3-2) is the only player to hold a winning record.

With Djokovic out of the picture, Alcaraz will be hoping to get back into the top two to end the year.

Only Sinner (12) has claimed more top 10 wins in 2024 than Alcaraz (11), whose last such win came against Sinner in Beijing in September.

Alcaraz is the only player to claim multiple wins over top-five ranked opponents on hard, grass and clay courts in consecutive seasons since the rankings were published in 1973. John McEnroe (1984) is the only other player to achieve the feat in a single year.

The other names in the hat

Who else will be looking for glory next week?

Medvedev comes into the ATP Finals ranked at number four in the world. Only two players won more matches at grand slams in 2024 than the Russian (18), and they are Sinner (23) and Alcaraz (19).

Taylor Fritz reached his first major final earlier this year, losing to Sinner at the US Open. Only two players - Zverev and Sinner - have won more matches on the Tour in 2024 than the American, who has an impressive 49-21 record.

After qualifying for the 2022 ATP Finals, Fritz will become the first American to make multiple appearances at the event since Andy Roddick (2003, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010).

 

Casper Ruud is one of only three players, along with Sinner (eight) and Alcaraz (five), to have reached at least five ATP finals this year.

Alex de Minaur, meanwhile, will become the first Australian to appear at the ATP Finals since Lleyton Hewitt 20 years ago.

Hewitt went on to reach the final, so there is a good omen there for his compatriot.

World number two Carlos Alcaraz admitted that he was "not up to the level" after a defeat to Ugo Humbert saw him crash out of the Paris Masters in the third round. 

Humbert, ranked 18th in the world, posted a 6-1 3-6 7-5 win against the second seed in two hours 17 minutes to reach the quarter-finals of the ATP Masters 1000 event in the French capital. 

"It was a very intense match. I started with some doubts about my game," said 21-year-old Alcaraz after the surprise defeat. 

"Against a player who attacks whenever he can, who hits very aggressively at the slightest opportunity, it wasn't easy to get into the match.

"I was not up to the level he displayed. Ugo's performance was really high. The way he hits the ball is incredible."

Alcaraz had his sights set on a fifth title of the season in Paris but will move on to the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin next, with the season finale to be played from November 10 to 17. 

Humbert, meanwhile, will continue his hunt in the Paris Masters as he preps up to battle Australia's Jordan Thompson for a spot in the semi-finals. 

World number two Carlos Alcaraz crashed out of the Paris Masters after an upset at the hands of 15th seed Ugo Humbert in the third round. 

Alcaraz was aiming for a fifth title of the season in the French capital, but it was the world number 18 who emerged as 6-1 3-6 7-5 winner in two hours 17 minutes. 

The Spaniard had no answer for Humbert in the first set, but fought back to level the proceedings in the second. 

The third set was a tight affair, but it was 26-year-old Humbert who prevailed to take it 7-5 and reach the last eight at the ATP Masters 1000 event. 

Humbert, looking for his third title of the season, will next face Australia’s Jordan Thompson, who progressed to the quarter-final by defeating Adrian Mannarino. 

Carlos Alcaraz began his Paris Masters campaign with a straight-sets victory over Nicolas Jarry.

The French Open and Wimbledon champion took 90 minutes to wrap up a 7-5 6-1 win over the Argentine, avenging his defeat in the semi-finals in Buenos Aires back in February.

Alcaraz made a purposeful start at the Accor Arena, breaking at the first attempt on the way to an early 3-0 lead.

Jarry responded by breaking back to 15 in game nine. However, an untimely double fault in the 12th handed the opening set to the Spaniard.

Also a winner in Indian Wells and Beijing this term, Alcaraz took control of the second set when he broke in the fourth game.

He did so again in the sixth, before holding to set up a last-16 clash with either Ugo Humbert or Marcos Giron.

Data Debrief: Carlitos applies the breaks

Alcaraz is aiming to progress beyond the quarter-final of this ATP Masters event for the first time.

Break points and unforced errors proved crucial in the contest. The Spaniard converted four of his five break point opportunities, and committed just six unforced errors to his opponent's 24.

In sealing the victory, Alcaraz improved his impressive record in opening rounds in 2024 to 13-2.

Jannik Sinner mounted yet another comeback to overcome Carlos Alcaraz in three sets and become the inaugural winner of the 6 Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia.

It is the fourth time the two have met this year, and Sinner triumphed for the first time, winning 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-3 on Saturday.

Sinner started brightly, taking a 4-1 lead in the first set, but was unable to hold onto his advantage as Alcaraz levelled the score before serving to love to force the tie-break.

The Spaniard let his lead slip twice but held on to take the first set, only to find himself on the backfoot once more in the second.

Sinner pulled ahead but was dragged back again, though was ready for the battle this time, breaking Alcaraz’s serve three times to force the decider.

Another three-game winning streak in the final set proved enough for the Italian to avenge his China Open defeat and claim a long-awaited win over Alcaraz.

Data Debrief: Sinner gets his revenge

This match will not go towards the pair's ATP head-to-head record, but it is a welcome win for Sinner, who has struggled to get the better of Alcaraz in 2024.

After losing at Indian Wells and the French Open earlier this year, Sinner also lost the China Open final, despite taking the first set in that match. 

But this time, he was the one coming from behind, just as he has so often in recent weeks, as the 23-year-old took the crown.

Carlos Alcaraz will face Jannik Sinner in the final of the 6 Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, having overcome an emotional Rafael Nadal in his penultimate tournament before retirement.

Nadal drew plenty of admiration from the crowd in Riyadh and was applauded off after a 6-3 6-3 defeat, which ensured he will face great rival Novak Djokovic in a third-place play-off on Saturday.

Alcaraz set the tone immediately by breaking to love in the very first game of the encounter, though Nadal found his feet to keep things competitive in the opening set.

Alcaraz hit a neat forehand to bring an end to a mammoth four-deuce game on Nadal's serve to take the opener, but the 22-time grand slam champion refused to go down without a fight, holding to love at the start of the second set. 

However, Alcaraz smashed a magnificent forehand down the line to go a break up at the second opportunity, and despite Nadal producing some memorable moments – including one cultured backhand at the net – he held firm for a 78-minute victory.

Nadal will team up with Alcaraz to represent Spain at the Davis Cup next week, at the final tournament of his glittering career. 

Data Debrief: Headline clashes teed up

Sinner's victory means he will face Alcaraz for the fourth time this year in Saturday's final, with the Spaniard having won all three previous meetings in 2024.

Nadal, meanwhile, is set for one last dance with Djokovic, who he has faced 60 times in official tour-level competitions, winning 29 times and losing on 31 occasions.

Carlos Alcaraz set up a mouth-watering 6 Kings Slam semi-final showdown with Rafael Nadal after a straight-sets win over Holger Rune.

The winner of this season's French Open and Wimbledon, the Spaniard took just 72 minutes to wrap up a commanding 6-4 6-2 victory in Riyadh.

The first set was neck and neck until game nine, when Alcaraz broke before holding to 15 to move halfway towards victory.

The four-time major champion then broke in games three and five to take complete control of the second set, which he eventually wrapped up to book what could be one last showdown with the retiring Nadal.

"I tried to adapt my game a bit to the conditions on the court," he said during his on-court post-match interview. 

"At the beginning, I struggled a little bit with my returns. I had to find the solutions, but once I did, I started to play better and better, and he struggled a little bit more than me."

On the prospect of facing Nadal, he added: "Since I started playing tennis, I have watched his matches. He's still my idol. He's been a really important person for my life and my career. He was one of the reasons I wanted to become a professional tennis player.

"Playing against him once again is going to be tough for me, but I'm going to try and enjoy it. I'm going to go full power; he's going to be stronger than ever before."

Data Debrief: Solid service from Alcaraz

Alcaraz will be relishing the prospect of going head to head once more with Nadal, who he partnered in the men's doubles at the Paris Olympics.

The world number two set up the clash after a dominant display on serve. Indeed, he won all nine service games, winning 37 of 45 points, and hit six aces while not facing a single break point.

Michael Chang is confident men's tennis is in good hands with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, following confirmation of Rafael Nadal's retirement.

Nadal will feature at the Davis Cup Finals for Spain before ending his glittering career next month, becoming the latest of the "Big Four" to walk away from the court. 

Roger Federer called time on his career in 2022, while Andy Murray retired after the Paris Olympics earlier this year. 

While Novak Djokovic – who is one win away from claiming a 100th Tour-level title – remains the last active player from that iconic quartet, Chang is delighted with the next generation.

"I think it's pretty clear at this point, if you look at the matches of both Alcaraz and Sinner, their games are dominating," 1989 French Open winner Chang told Stats Perform. 

"Novak is still playing great tennis and to be able to win the Olympic Games is huge. You know he will still continue to fight for grand slam titles, but the games of these younger players and their confidence on court suggest they will be around for a while, barring any injuries.

"Jannik and Carlos have learned from the previous generation, they learned what it takes to go out and play unbelievable tennis.

"Carlos talks about how he watched these players growing up, how he has learned from them and taken their best qualities to improve his own game, which is very evident.

"They've inspired the younger generation and are well-liked off the court as well.

"Fans can relate to them, they're very humble in nature yet competitive on the court, which is a continuation of that kind of atmosphere and attitude that is really wonderful for our sport of tennis."

Sinner's triumph at the Shanghai Masters on Sunday saw him claim his place at the top of the ATP year-end world rankings, with only Djokovic and Nadal doing so quicker in a season since the modification of those rankings in 2009.

The Italian has won 65 of his 71 Tour-level matches this year, claiming seven trophies, including the Australian Open and US Open.

Alcaraz, meanwhile, won the other two grand slams. 

The Spaniard has won all three of his meetings with Sinner this season, and Chang believes this is only the start of a blossoming rivalry that will go beyond the sport as a whole.

"I think they've already begun to do that. Carlos, in particular, is involved in many non-tennis-related activities and I think that will be pretty commonplace for them," Chang added.

"They're young and vibrant, with interests outside tennis, which is great to see.

"I don't think they'll get side-tracked like some players who have done really well in tennis, and then all of a sudden have this modelling contract over here or this and that over there and then all of a sudden, where did their tennis go?

"I don't see that happening with Alcaraz and Sinner. They seem disciplined, focused, and one-track-minded, but they won't shy away from being involved in other pursuits.

"I think they will keep that focus and will be good for our sport."

Carlos Alcaraz found it difficult to accept the news of Rafael Nadal's impending retirement, saying the 22-time grand slam winner inspired him to turn professional.

On Thursday, Nadal confirmed next month's Davis Cup finals will be the final event of his glittering career, having struggled with injuries throughout a difficult few years.

Plenty of comparisons have been drawn between Alcaraz's stunning emergence and that enjoyed by Nadal at the start of his own career. 

Alcaraz won his first grand slam title as a 19-year-old at the 2022 US Open and has since gone on to claim three further major crowns. Nadal, meanwhile, is the only man in the Open Era to win multiple grand slams both before the age of 20 and after turning 30.

The pair teamed up to play doubles at the Paris Olympic Games earlier this year, reaching the quarter-finals before losing to eventual silver medallists Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.

Speaking after he suffered a surprise defeat to Tomas Machac at the Shanghai Masters on Thursday, Alcaraz appeared to still be digesting the news of Nadal's retirement.

Asked about the video Nadal posted to social media announcing his decision, Alcaraz said: "When I watched it, it was tough to accept it.

"I was in shock a little bit. I saw it like one hour before the match, so I had time to accept it and forget it a little bit before the match.

"It is a really difficult thing, really difficult news for everybody, and even tougher for me. He has been my idol since I start playing tennis. I look up to him.

"Thanks to him, I really wanted to become a tennis player. Losing him, in a certain way, is going to be difficult for us, so I will try to enjoy as much as I can when he's going to play.

"But we are going to play in Saudi Arabia, and then the Davis Cup, so I'm going to try to enjoy the time with him as much as I can, but, yeah, it is a shame for tennis and for me."

Nadal spent much of his career competing with fellow legends Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, with the sport's 'Big Three' winning 66 grand slam singles titles between them.

World number one Jannik Sinner, speaking after his win over Daniil Medvedev in Shanghai, said tennis' current crop of contenders should not be placed under pressure to replicate the achievements of that trio.

"We cannot compare us with them, that's impossible... They have been very consistent for years... not only one or two seasons, they made it for 15 years," Sinner said.

"What they have done over the years has been amazing. There are not many things to say about pressure, the pressure is always going to be there. 

"They have been very consistent throughout years and years and years. There are a lot of things what we can take from them. 

"I think we all were very lucky to see the Big Three playing tennis. I consider myself very lucky to get to know them also as people and to learn from them."

Writing on X following Nadal's announcement, the Italian said: "Thank you Rafa for everything you have given to the sport. 

"To have the chance to spend a few weeks training with you a few years ago is something I'll never forget. To watch you work as an athlete but also get to know you as a person off the court was even more special. You will be missed on the tour!"

Tomas Machac shocked Carlos Alcaraz to tee up a Shanghai Masters semi-final against Jannik Sinner.

Alcaraz beat Sinner to win the China Open title last week, and a rematch against the world number one looked on the cards with the Spaniard going up against the world number 33.

Yet Machac had other ideas and prevailed  7-6 (7-5) 7-5 on Thursday.

It brought up Machac's second win over a top-five opponent, after the Czech defeated Novak Djokovic at the Geneva Open earlier this year, only to lose to Casper Ruud in the final.

Reflecting on his win, Machac said: "I was playing unbelievable. I knew my level of tennis today would be great because I'm playing the best of my career right now for sure.

"I beat Tommy Paul [in the] last match with an unbelievable performance. With these kind of players, I have to play at this level. Otherwise, it's 6-2 6-3 and you go home. There's no other option. 

"I knew that I had a chance [to beat Alcaraz], but you never know, even with a set and 5-4 it's still so far from winning the match. I played great tennis against him in the Davis Cup [in September], but there was this level [for] only one set. Today it was [for] two, so it was enough."

Data Debrief: Giant killers

From the round of 16 onwards, two players ranked outside the ATP's top 20 (David Goffin and Machac) have claimed top five wins at the Shanghai Masters for the first time in the event's history.

Since the inaugural event in 2009, meanwhile, Machac is now the fifth player ranked outside the ATP's top 30 to reach the last four at the Shanghai Masters after Feliciano Lopez, Juan Monaco, Kei Nishikori and Gilles Simon.

Carlos Alcaraz battled past Gael Monfils, becoming the first Spaniard to reach the Shanghai Masters quarter-final since 2017 as he kept his winning streak alive.

Having lost to the Frenchman in Cincinnati earlier this year, Alcaraz won 6-4 7-5 on Wednesday, which was his 12th victory on the bounce.

Monfils was bidding to become the second-oldest ATP Masters 1000 quarter-finalist in history at 38 years old and matched Alcaraz through the early stages, almost forcing a break.

But he could not hold onto a lead in the ninth game of the first set, and the 21-year-old took advantage.

Alcaraz did not have it all his own way in the second set despite an assured performance, which saw him serve three games to love overall.

Monfils could only defend two of three break points in the penultimate game as Alcaraz pressed home his advantage. He will meet Tomas Machac on Thursday.

"The main thing I tried in this match was to stay calm, to control my emotions and wait for my chances," said Alcaraz.

"That helped me a lot to show my best tennis during the match. I am feeling the ball really well, much more than I was during the American swing. So, I am happy to be able to do it and keep going."

Data Debrief: No stopping Alcaraz

Alcaraz has improved his record to 51-9 for the season with this win over Monfils and is into his 14th ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.

Since the format's inception in 1990, Alcaraz (76.5%, 62-19) only trails three players for win percentage at ATP Masters 1000 events: Novak Djokovic (82.02%), Rafael Nadal (82.00%) and Roger Federer (77.9%).

Carlos Alcaraz held his nerve against a spirited Wu Yibing to progress to the fourth round of the Shanghai Masters.

Having already beaten another of the home favourites, Shang Juncheng, in his opener, the Spaniard had to dig deep but prevailed 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 in one hour and 41 minutes on Sunday.

There was nothing to split the two in the opening set, though Wu caused some real problems with his power, and successfully defended two break points in the ninth game.

The tie-break was also tight, but Alcaraz found his edge at the right time, winning the last three points.

Buoyed by the home crowd, Wu started the second set strongly too, but Alcaraz absorbed the pressure well and got the only break of the match in a three-game winning run.

With his winning streak extended, Alcaraz will now face either Gael Monfils or Ugo Humbert in the next round.

Data Debrief: Alcaraz marches on

Alcaraz has put his shock US Open exit firmly behind him, with this his 11th win on the bounce since then. 

He coped well with the early pressure Wu threw at him, and put in another solid performance, hitting 11 aces and winning 71% of his points at the net (5/7).

Carlos Alcaraz began his Shanghai Open campaign with a straight-sets win over China's Shang Juncheng, bringing up his 10th straight victory.

Just three days on from his epic victory over Jannik Sinner in the China Open final, Alcaraz recorded a 6-2 6-2 win over Shang inside one hour and 17 minutes.

The four-time grand slam winner wasted no time by breaking in the very first game of the encounter, then repeated the trick six games later to take the opener, avoiding any pressure as he won 82% of his first-serve points.

Alcaraz produced the shot of the match early in the second set, producing a brilliant backhand flick to salvage a point while backtracking from the net.

Back-to-back breaks midway through the second set sealed Alcaraz's 10th straight victory, after which he hailed the performance of his 19-year-old opponent.

"I'm not used to playing against players younger than me," Alcaraz said. "He has been playing good tennis lately, winning his first ATP title [in Chengdu], so I'm pretty sure he's going to climb the rankings. 

"At the net he told me that it's a pleasure share the court with you. So these kinds of things that I hear from younger players, it's great."

Data Debrief: Double figures for Alcaraz

Alcaraz's victory was his 10th in succession since he suffered a shock second-round defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp at the US Open in August.

He will face another Chinese player in the next round, taking on world number 560 Wu Yibing. 

Carlos Alcaraz described Jannik Sinner as "a beast" and the world's best player after downing the Italian in Wednesday's remarkable China Open final.

Alcaraz and Sinner battled it out for over three hours in the Beijing showpiece match, with Alcaraz eventually triumphing 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 7-6 (7-3).

The Spaniard took the decisive tie-break with a remarkable run of seven straight points, having lost a tie-break in the opening set to fall behind.

At the age of 21 years and 150 days, Alcaraz is the youngest player to defeat the world number one in an ATP event final after losing the opening set since Juan Martin del Potro (20 years, 356 days), who came back to beat Roger Federer at the US Open in 2009.

Speaking after his sixth career win over the Italian (four defeats), Alcaraz outlined his belief he had overcome the very best in the sport.

"He could have won in two, I could have won in two, he could have won in three. It was a really close match," said Alcaraz. 

"Jannik, once again, he showed that he's the best player in the world, at least for me. 

"The level that he's playing, it's unbelievable. It's a really high quality of tennis. His shots, physically, mentally... he's a beast."

Sinner breezed into a 3-0 lead in the third-set tie-break, only for Alcaraz to show extraordinary resilience to maintain his 100% record against Sinner this year, having previously beaten him at Indian Wells and Roland Garros.

"I never lost hope. Honestly I knew that every tie-break Jannik plays is almost on his side," Alcaraz said of the decider. 

"I thought that in the third set, I'm not going to lie down after two mini-breaks for him. I thought, 'okay, I have to give everything that I have just to try to give myself the opportunity to be close'.

"During the whole week I've been playing great tennis. Probably sometimes the luck went to my side a little bit in the matches."

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