Carlos Alcaraz Happy to Have Lorenzo Musetti in his Group Instead of Novak Djokovic at the ATP Finals

Carlos Alcaraz kicked off his ATP Finals campaign against Alex de Minaur.

Carlos Alcaraz Happy to Have Lorenzo Musetti in his Group Instead of Novak Djokovic at the ATP Finals

Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti (via Instagram/ATP)

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Carlos Alcaraz has started his ATP Finals campaign in the best possible way. However, before his opening match victory over Alex de Minaur, he learned that Novak Djokovic had withdrawn from the tournament and would be replaced by Lorenzo Musetti.

Alcaraz admitted that he would prefer to be in Musetti’s group rather than Djokovic’s, given the Serbian’s record as a seven-time ATP Finals champion. Both Djokovic and Musetti had recently competed in Athens. He said in his post-match press conference:

Well, obviously someone like Novak being in the group is always tough. The experience he has in this tournament, the level he has on indoor court, it’s quite good. I lost to him in 2023, and I played great. He killed me (smiling). To be honest, I prefer Lorenzo. I’m not going to lie (laughter). If he’s there, he deserves it because of the level he has put on the matches, the tournaments he has done this year, and the level he showed this year. It was really, really high.

At the start of the Athens tournament, there were rumors about Djokovic possibly taking part in the ATP Finals. The Serb dismissed the speculation at the time, saying he would make his decision after the event.

Musetti, on the other hand, needed to win in Athens to qualify for the ATP Finals. Djokovic’s withdrawal has now handed him a spot in the Turin tournament regardless of his result there.

Carlos Alcaraz opens his ATP Finals campaign

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz began his quest for a first ATP Finals title and the year-end No. 1 ranking with a strong start on Sunday. The Spaniard defeated Alex de Minaur in straight sets, 7-6(5), 6-2, to open the season-ending tournament featuring the world’s top eight players.

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

The opening set was full of momentum shifts. Alcaraz broke De Minaur to love and came close to securing a 5-1 lead, but the Australian fought back, saving multiple break points to stay in the set. He then broke Alcaraz’s serve to level the score and pushed the set into a tiebreak.

In the tiebreaker, De Minaur took a 5-3 lead, but Alcaraz responded with a composed display, winning four straight points to close out the set. His aggressive baseline play and precise serving turned the momentum firmly in his favor.

The second set saw Alcaraz take full control. Although he dropped his serve early, he quickly regrouped, winning the next five games in dominant fashion. The 22-year-old sealed the match with a sharp cross-court backhand on his second match point, starting his ATP Finals campaign in style.

Carlos Alcaraz needs two wins to clinch World No.1 battle

Spanish tennis legend Carlos Alcaraz was made to work hard by Alex de Minaur in his opening match at the ATP Finals in Turin, but he managed to prevail in straight sets. The victory kept his hopes alive of ending the season as the world No. 1 after a closely contested year at the top of men’s tennis.

Carlos Alcaraz (5)
Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

Heading into the tournament, Alcaraz had returned to the top of the live ATP rankings, but his lead over rival Jannik Sinner remained slim. Sinner’s recent triumphs at the Vienna Open and Paris Masters put him firmly in contention to finish the year as the world’s best player.

Despite a tough challenge from De Minaur, Alcaraz edged a tense first set before stepping up his level to take the second, winning 7-6(5), 6-2. The Australian’s resilience kept the match competitive early on, but Alcaraz’s precision and power proved too much as the contest wore on.

To secure the year-end No. 1 ranking, Alcaraz needs to win all three of his group-stage matches in Turin. However, he could still finish on top if he reaches the final, even with one loss in the group phase.

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