By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, November 9, 2025Photo credit score: Marco Bertorello/AFP/Getty
Arriving in Turin off a sloppy Paris defeat, Carlos Alcaraz confronted fading tiebreaker prospects down.
Down a mini-break, Alcaraz launched a laser line present to mild up his Turin opener.
Alcaraz torched winners down the road, turning again Alex de Minaur 7-6(5), 6-2 in his ATP Finals opener right this moment.
The second-seeded Spaniard smacked 11 backhand winners overcoming a sloppy stretch of play within the first set with a fierce end. Alcaraz hit 32 winners—20 greater than the Demon—and transformed 4 of seven break factors after de Minaur was two factors from the primary arrange 5-4 within the tiebreaker.
“I used to be serving properly, taking part in properly, that 4-1 40-love that I couldn’t make it, it was essential within the first set,” Alcaraz instructed Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj. “After that, I used to be struggling a little bit bit. I feel he elevated his stage and his sport a little bit bit extra as properly, which I feel was regular. He’s all the time looking for options.
“Within the tiebreak, I attempted to only keep robust mentally, keep robust to make my probabilities and alternatives. I’m actually pleased that I made it. Then within the second set, I pulled out all of the nerves. I attempted to get pleasure from much more and play my model and I’m actually pleased I used to be in a position to do it.”
Off to a flyer ✈️
World No.1 @carlosalcaraz defeats Alex de Minaur 7-6 6-2 in his 2025 #NittoATPFinals opener 👊 pic.twitter.com/Z1xHzRWTPI
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 9, 2025
The victory begins Alcaraz’s quest to surpass defending Turin champion Jannik Sinner to grab the year-end world No. 1 rating and makes him the early front-runner within the Jimmy Connors Group of round-robin play.
“I feel for me an important factor for me to come back right here on the finish of the yr is to really feel good bodily, to really feel wholesome, or as wholesome as I can,” Alcaraz mentioned. “I attempted to be centered on what I need to enhance to play this event. I made actually essential bodily preparation, I practiced properly. My focus is to adapt myself as a lot as I can on within the indoor court docket and play aggressive and good tennis right here.”
Holding triple break level within the sixth sport, Alcaraz was one level from a double-break 5-1 lead. Then de Minaur discovered his first serve simply in time denying all three break factors to carry for 2-4.
That spirited stand—mixed with Alcaraz gagging on a routine brief forehand—helped the Aussie break for the primary time to get again on serve at 3-4.
The seventh-seeded Aussie utterly flipped the first-set script. De Minaur drilled his second ace of the sport capping a love maintain to pressure the tiebreaker.
An impatient Alcaraz was over-hitting at instances and de Minaur exploited the Spaniard’s impetuous instincts. De Minaur crushed a brief forehand then earned the mini break for a 5-3 tiebreaker lead as Alcaraz sailed a backhand.
Serving at 5-4, de Minaur couldn’t land his first serve. Alcaraz threw down an outstanding leaping smash to stage. When the Aussie netted a forehand, Alcaraz gained set level. Alcaraz closed a good 62-minute set when de Minaur flew a forehand down the road lengthy.
An empowered Alcaraz charged to a triple break level result in begin the second set. Lining up his two-hander, Alcaraz blasted a backhand strike breaking for 1-0 after 68 minutes.
Although de Minaur regained the break when Alcaraz tripped a two-hander off the tape, the Aussie’s serve was below assault once more in sport three.
Moving into the court docket, Alcaraz torched his two-hander down the road once more scoring his second straight break for a 2-1 second-set lead.
This time, Alcaraz made the break stand breezing via a love maintain to consolidate for 3-1.
Although de Minaur’s anticipation and quick first step are two weapons that assist him lead the ATP Tour in hard-court wins this yr, Alcaraz administered a lethal dose of line drives to interrupt once more.
Scorching a pair of backhand winners down the road—Alcaraz hit 9 backhand winners by then—the Spaniard gained one other break level.
An airborne Alcaraz rocketed a rising forehand strike down the road for his third straight break and a 4-1 lead.
A crackling forehand down the road gave Alcaraz a second match level. Stepping in, the Spaniard stroked a clear backhand crosscourt closing in 100 minutes.
