CARLOS Alcaraz moved a step closer to reclaiming the year-ending No. 1 ranking after rallying past Taylor Fritz 6-7 (2), 7-5, 6-3 on Tuesday (Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, PH time) at the ATP Finals.
With the victory, Alcaraz is now one win away from securing the top spot. He can clinch it by winning his final group match against Lorenzo Musetti or his semifinal match later this week, which would give him the year-end No. 1 for the second time in his career.
“I’m trying not to think about it, to be honest,” Alcaraz said. “But it’s really difficult, not to think about the
No. 1 spot.”
The Spaniard improved to 2-0 at the season-ending event for the world’s top eight players and later sealed a place in the semifinals when Musetti edged Alex de Minaur 7-5, 3-6, 7-5.
If Alcaraz fails to win another match and Jannik Sinner goes unbeaten to defend his title, Sinner would finish the season as No. 1 instead.
Alcaraz struck 47 winners to Fritz’s 38 and rallied from a set down despite facing 14 aces from the American.
“It was (a) really, really difficult match,” Alcaraz said. “Really demanding physically. It was really tight. I saved really difficult and important moments during the match, which I’m really proud of and really happy about it to show a really good tennis when it matters.”
Fritz had chances to break early in the second set but failed to convert.
“I just wasn’t clinical enough in finishing some points on some really big points,” Fritz said.
“The first two sets I think I did an incredible job serving and returning. I gave myself all the chances I could possibly ask for the first two sets,” he added. “My opportunity to win that match was in the second set and I didn’t take it. I had the chances.”
With the win, Alcaraz leads the Jimmy Connors group at 2-0, followed by Fritz and Musetti at 1-1, while De Minaur fell to 0-2. Musetti entered the event as a late replacement for Novak Djokovic, who withdrew with a shoulder injury.
The top two players in each group advance to the semifinals.
Sinner currently leads the other group after beating Felix Auger-Aliassime in his opener on Monday.
Fritz’s knee concerns
Fritz said he struggled with knee tendinitis in the final set.
“It gets a little bit tough to bend my knee on my serve once we get that late into the match,” Fritz said. “My knee is completely cooked.
“I’ve had tendinitis all year long,” he added. “I’ve really struggled to play back-to-back days without it flaring up. … I started feeling it towards the end of the first set, but it didn’t really affect me until the third set. It just got to the point where I was really struggling to bend my back leg on my serve, step into backhands, load the leg, my right leg, for an open-stance forehand.” / FROM THE WIRES