Carlos Alcaraz rode the wave on Thursday at the ATP Finals, securing the prestigious year-end World No. 1 spot by defeating Italy's Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-1 in their round-robin match in Turin. The victory, achieved in front of a partisan home crowd, ensures that Alcaraz will finish the 2025 season at the top of the standings for the second time in his career, regardless of the remaining tournament results.
The win capped a perfect 3-0 run through the Jimmy Connors Group for Alcaraz, who entered the match needing one more victory to edge out his rival, defending champion Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz confirmed the importance of the achievement, saying, "It means the world to me to be honest, the year No. 1 is always a goal... For me, it means everything. The work that we put in every day during the whole season, ups and downs, comebacks from the tennis side."
Alcaraz confidently dealt with Sinner’s countryman, Musetti, who had qualified for the Finals as a late replacement for the injured Novak Djokovic. Musetti, clearly battling fatigue in his seventh match in nine days following a run to the Athens Open final, fought hard in the opening set but struggled to maintain his level. He admitted, “I was tired, I knew it would be hard to recover... I needed a miracle today.”
The victory for Alcaraz also sealed a semifinal spot for Alex de Minaur, who had defeated Taylor Fritz earlier on Thursday, sending the Australian through in second place from the Jimmy Connors Group. This sets up a highly anticipated semifinal showdown: Jannik Sinner, who topped the Bjorn Borg Group, will now face De Minaur in the last four. Meanwhile, Alcaraz awaits the winner of Friday’s match between Alexander Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
With the year-end No. 1 ranking secured, Alcaraz now shifts his focus to winning his first Finals title. His success over Musetti averted a scenario where Sinner could have snatched the top ranking by defending his title unbeaten. Alcaraz's strong finish sets up the possibility of a final blockbuster against Sinner, a fitting conclusion to a season where the two have dominated the tour, trading Grand Slam titles and battling for the top spot.