Alexander Zverev reveals heartwarming conversation at the net with Carlos Alcaraz after beating him at the ATP Finals

Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz have had plenty of good moments off the court during the ATP Finals this year.

Alexander Zverev reveals heartwarming conversation at the net with Carlos Alcaraz after beating him at the ATP Finals

Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz (images via X)

World No. 2 Alexander Zverev shared details of a heartwarming conversation with World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz after their match at the ATP Finals. The German won the match 7-6, 6-4, effectively ending the Spaniard’s hopes of advancing in the tournament.

After the match, the two players shared a friendly exchange at the net. Zverev referred to Alcaraz’s previous victories against him this year, including their Roland Garros final, which lasted five sets.

YouTube video

I told Carlos at the net that he’s beaten me too many times this year in big matches, so I’m happy to win that one. I feel like we have a pretty good rivalry and a great friendship, too. It’s always fun to play against him, except when he beats me… It’s not fun. But sharing the court with him is great, he’s a great guy.

Alexander Zverev said in the post-match interview at the ATP Finals

Zverev and Alcaraz faced each other four times in 2024, splitting the matches 2-2. They clashed twice in Grand Slam events this year—the Australian Open quarterfinal and the Roland Garros final—with each securing one win.

FS Video

The only other match was at Indian Wells, where Alcaraz triumphed on his way to winning his only Masters 1000 title of the season. With this latest victory, Zverev also secured the Year-End World No. 2 ranking ahead of Alcaraz.

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Alexander Zverev sets clash with Taylor Fritz in the last four of the ATP Finals

Alexander Zverev is on a strong winning run at the Nitto ATP Finals. On Friday, he defeated Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(5), 6-4 in Turin. This was their first meeting since the Spaniard beat him in the French Open final earlier this year. Zverev’s performance lasted nearly two hours and secured his place as World No. 2 in the ATP rankings for 2024.

Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev (via X)

The win also confirmed Zverev as the leader of the John Newcombe Group. He will now face Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals. Alcaraz is close to being eliminated but still has a slim chance of advancing. For this to happen, Andrey Rublev must beat Casper Ruud in straight sets later on Friday.

Zverev’s strong serve was key to his victory. He hit nine aces and won 73% of points on his first serve. Impressively, he has not lost his serve in his last four matches. This streak includes his recent Paris Masters final win over Ugo Humbert.

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With 69 wins this season, Zverev leads the ATP Tour for 2024. He has one more win than World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. His total is the highest in a season since Andy Murray’s 78 wins in 2016. Zverev also now has a 6-5 lead in matches against Alcaraz.