Fritz Edges Close to Alcaraz Upset in Turin Thriller
Taylor Fritz's explosive returns and heavy groundstrokes nearly toppled Carlos Alcaraz at the Nitto ATP Finals, but a second-set slip and creeping knee pain handed the Spaniard a tense three-set escape, leaving the American to ponder what might have been.
In the humming intensity of Turin's Pala Alpitour, where the indoor hard courts amplify every thud and slide, Taylor Fritz surged with a season-honed ferocity against Carlos Alcaraz during their Nitto ATP Finals opener. The American's confident barrage dominated the first 90 minutes, his deep crosscourt forehands and aggressive returns pinning the world No. 1 into prolonged rallies that tested his footing on the quick surface. Yet Alcaraz's signature grit surfaced in the clutch, turning the tide for a 6-7(2), 7-5, 6-3 win that kept Fritz's semifinal dreams flickering amid the round-robin pressure.
Second-set break points evaporate
The match's emotional hinge swung at 2-2 in the second set, where Fritz carved out two break points through relentless baseline pressure, his explosive loading disrupting Alcaraz's serve rhythm. He later pinpointed this window as his clearest path to victory, a moment where tactical poise met the psychological weight of their lopsided rivalry. The first chance ignited during a thrilling 19-shot rally, Fritz steering the exchange with inside-out angles before Alcaraz dashed forward for a decisive backhand volley that flipped the momentum and electrified the crowd.
Fritz eyed an overhead to end it but let the lob bounce, a split-second hesitation on the slick court that he regretted in hindsight. This rare pullback from his otherwise unyielding attack allowed Alcaraz to consolidate, countering with sharp down-the-line replies that reclaimed the set 7-5. The shift echoed the mental strain of chasing breakthroughs against a foe who thrives on such reversals.
“My opportunity to win that match was in the second set, and I didn't take it,” Fritz said. “I had the chances. I had all I could ask for.”
Alcaraz dictates with relentless offense
Throughout their five meetings, including four this year, Fritz has grappled with Alcaraz's perpetual forward drive, a style that suffocates counterattacks on any surface but bites harder indoors. The American broke through once at the Laver Cup in September, using team-event fire to fuel his first win, yet Tuesday's clash reinforced the 22-year-old's dominance. Fritz generated attacking balls in the opening sets via bold returns, but execution faltered on key points, his flat strikes clipping the lines just short under the arena's glare.
“He is always on offence,” Fritz observed of Alcaraz's quick transitions from scramble to winner. “I don't even get a chance to get the balls to attack. Today I did, I just wasn't clinical enough in finishing some points on some really big points.” Now 1-5 in their head-to-head, Fritz sits 1-1 in the Jimmy Connors group, his early aggression a one–two pattern of depth and redirection that briefly neutralized the Spaniard's topspin loops but couldn't sustain against his elastic retrievals.
The crowd's rising murmurs during those extended exchanges amplified the stakes, turning each mishit into a ripple of frustration that carried into the third set. Alcaraz capitalized on the dip, varying his inside-in forehands to pull Fritz wide and close out 6-3, his resilience preserving a group lead while underscoring how surface speed favors his adaptive game in prolonged battles.
Knee strain tests forward resolve
As the third set unfolded, Fritz's knee tendinitis emerged as a silent adversary, flaring with each bend and stomp during his explosive returns—one of his sharpest displays over two sets. The pain intensified from the prior day's exertions, forcing subtle adjustments that video analysis would reveal: his back leg loading less, bending minimally to absorb the indoor hard's bite. This tactical compromise sapped his power on crosscourt replies, opening lanes for Alcaraz's down-the-line counters.
“I start to feel it when I'm bending, loading, kind of stomping,” the 10-time tour-level titlist explained. “It's just tendinitis. It's just gotten worse.” Undeterred, he vows to battle through, a mindset forged in a 2025 campaign of high-wire consistency.
Next awaits Alex de Minaur, an evenly poised rival tied 5-5 in their series and facing off for the first time this year—a matchup where Fritz's varied pace, perhaps incorporating more underspin to disrupt speed, could reignite his momentum. In Turin's charged air, this near-upset lingers as fuel, a reminder that mental resets and physical tweaks might yet unlock his end-of-year surge.
