Alcaraz Claims Long-Awaited Turin Opener
Three years into the Nitto ATP Finals, Carlos Alcaraz sheds the weight of slow starts with a decisive win over Alex de Minaur, channeling early nerves into a surge of momentum that sharpens his edge for the season's final push.
In the charged atmosphere of Turin's Pala Alpitour, where the season's brightest talents collide under piercing lights, Carlos Alcaraz arrived with a score to settle. The Nitto ATP Finals had haunted his early efforts for three years, a round-robin format that punishes hesitation among the elite eight. On Sunday, he dispatched Alex de Minaur in straight sets, his arms raised in triumph, finally etching a winning start into the tournament's unforgiving ledger.
Shaking off years of opening setbacks
The Spaniard, a six-time Grand Slam champion at just 22, had stumbled in his previous debuts here. In 2023, Alexander Zverev outlasted him in the opener, exposing gaps in adapting to the indoor pace. Last year, Casper Ruud repeated the lesson, leaving the World No. 2 to regroup amid mounting expectations.
This time, Alcaraz entered with refined poise, his explosive forehand carving crosscourt paths that pinned de Minaur deep. The Australian's quick returns tested him early, but the 22-year-old's footwork hummed, retrieving down-the-line backhands and countering with inside-out winners that echoed through the arena. The crowd's rising energy mirrored his shift from tension to command, turning the match into a showcase of growth forged from past trials.
“Opening the tournament with a win is always nice, it’s always good. It can really give you a significant confidence boost for the next matches,” explained the six-time Grand Slam champion.
Initial nerves gripped him at the outset, the weight of a Finals debut match pressing like the cool air in the vast venue. Yet he steadied, his level elevating as points blurred into bursts of urgency on the swift surface.
Mastering the indoor court's demands
Turin's hard courts accelerate everything, skidding balls low and fast, leaving scant time for topspin loops or defensive resets. Alcaraz likened the conditions to Paris, where slower play allowed longer rallies and heavier spin to swell the ball's presence. Here, serves strike like arrows, and flat trajectories open sharper angles, forcing players to strike first or yield ground.
Against de Minaur's flat-hitting resilience, he flattened his own strokes, blending 1–2 combinations—deep serves followed by aggressive approaches—with occasional underspin to disrupt rhythm. This tactical pivot neutralized the Australian's counterpunching, pulling him wide on crosscourt exchanges and inviting errors on the rise. The victory affirmed his high baseline, a benchmark in an event where only peak form survives.
“Ultimately, if you win a match here it’s because you’ve played really well, because your level is very high,” said the 22-year-old. “And that, in terms of sending a message to the other players and even to yourself, is very positive. I’ve been playing here for three years and it’s the first time I’ve won the first match, so I’m pleased with that. I’ll try to keep improving on the small things I didn’t do well today. I’m feeling really motivated for the next matches.”
Small lapses surfaced, like unforced errors in tight exchanges, but his post-match resolve burned clear: refine them swiftly, as the round-robin's tempo offers no reprieve. The indoor zip amplified his power, turning potential marathons into decisive breaks that left de Minaur scrambling.
Deeper analysis revealed how the surface curtails spin's margin, making precise placement essential over raw force. In Paris, extended points built through topspin gave him room to construct; in Turin, the pace demands immediate damage, a shift he embraced to exploit vulnerabilities in his opponent's defense.
“I also think it depends a bit on the speed of the court. Here, everything’s much faster, there’s no time to put spin on it or to hit topspin, so the angles don’t open up. In Paris we had more time to play, with more margin and more topspin. The serve wasn’t as damaging, there were a lot more rallies and much longer points, and that made the ball bigger. The balls are similar, but here we can do a little more damage because of the speed of the court.”
Embracing finals and Davis Cup pursuits
Beyond the court, Alcaraz's hunger extends to dual horizons, the Nitto ATP Finals intertwining with the Davis Cup in Malaga next week. Pressed on prioritizing one over the other, his response cut through compromise, eyes alight with unyielding drive. This mindset, honed through a season of triumphs and trials, positions him to chase both without dilution.
The opener's momentum settles him into the format, his learnings from three years crystallizing into tactical clarity. No longer chasing shadows of slow starts, he steps into group clashes with fortified belief, the crowd's pulse now syncing with his rhythm. As rivals like Jannik Sinner loom, his blend of power, finesse, and mental steel promises to etch deeper marks on Turin's story, propelling a bid for season-crowning glory while honoring national call.
“Why not both? I think that’s the question. Why choose one when you can fight for both?” responded the 22-year-old. “Although there are many years left, I’ll also have many years to play the Davis Cup, because it’s annual. Hopefully I can represent Spain for many years to come, but we’ll try and fight for both this year, and every year that we have the chance.”
With this breakthrough, the pressure of year-end stakes transforms from burden to fuel, his every shot carrying the weight of possibility in the arena's electric hum.
