Carlos Alcaraz Archives

World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz out of Davis Cup finale with injury

Spain’s world number one Carlos Alcaraz will miss the Davis Cup Final 8 tournament in Italy this week due to injury, the two-time Wimbledon champion announced on X on Tuesday.

“I am very sorry to announce that I will not be able to play with Spain in the Davis Cup in Bologna. I have swelling in my right hamstring, and the medical advice is not to play,” the 22-year-old six-time Grand Slam winner said.

“I’ve always said that playing for Spain is the greatest thing there is, and I was really looking forward to helping the team fight for the Davis Cup trophy.”

Alcaraz’s announcement comes two days after he was beaten by his arch-rival Jannik Sinner, the Italian world number two, 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 in the ATP Finals title-decider in Turin.

While both Sinner and Alcaraz breezed into the final, the championship game was an attritional affair, with each player rock-solid on serve until an enthralling tie-break at the end of the first set.

Sinner took the lead thanks to a brilliant lob which set up a set point, and he made no mistake with a missile of a serve which Alcaraz could only limply send wide.

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But Sinner immediately handed Alcaraz the advantage in the second set with two double-faults, which helped hand his opponent a break of serve at the start of the frame.

Sinner hadn’t dropped a service game in the whole tournament up to that point, but he broke back in game six to put the crowd on their feet.

And Sinner collapsed to the ground in joy when Alcaraz sent a backhand wide on the first championship point, before heading into the stands to share his joy with his family amid the roars of the crowd.

Notably, Sinner had already announced he would miss the Davis Cup Final 8 tournament, with hosts Italy aiming for a third title in a row.

Italy’s second-highest-ranked player, Lorenzo Musetti, has also pulled out of Italy’s defence.

Austria, France, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Argentina and Germany are the other countries vying for victory in Bologna.

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Jannik Sinner beats great rival Carlos Alcaraz to retain ATP Finals title

TURIN: Jannik Sinner retained the ATP Finals title on Sunday after beating Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 and ending a turbulent season with victory over his great rival.

Italian Sinner brought the house down in Turin by winning the championship match that tennis fans wanted to see, adding the prestigious year-ending tournament to the Australian Open and a landmark triumph at Wimbledon this season.

The 24-year-old also bounced back from a three-month ban, which chopped out a large chunk of his season despite the World Anti-Doping Agency accepting that the Italian was accidentally contaminated with the banned substance clostebol last year.

Sinner has now won 31 straight matches on indoor hard courts, a run which stretches back to the 2023 championship match at Turin’s Inalpi Arena, which he lost to Novak Djokovic.

Four more wins on indoor hard courts would draw him level with Djokovic’s tally set between 2012 and 2015, the second-highest in the Open era, but some way behind John McEnroe’s record of 47.

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He hasn’t dropped a set at the Finals since losing that final to the Serb two years ago, and he was imperious over the week in northern Italy.

While both Sinner and Alcaraz breezed into the final, the championship game was an attritional affair, with each player rock-solid on serve until an enthralling tie-break at the end of the first set.

Sinner took the lead thanks to a brilliant lob which set up a set point, and he made no mistake with a missile of a serve which Alcaraz could only limply send wide.

But Sinner immediately handed Alcaraz the advantage in the second set with two double-faults, which helped hand his opponent a break of serve at the start of the frame.

Sinner hadn’t dropped a service game in the whole tournament up to that point, but he broke back in game six to put the crowd on their feet.

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Alcaraz fights back to beat Fritz at ATP Finals

Carlos Alcaraz battled to victory over Taylor Fritz at the ATP Finals on Tuesday, moving to within one win of securing the year-end number one ranking for the second time.

The five-time Grand Slam champion made it two wins from two in the Jimmy Connors Group with a comeback 6-7 (2/7), 7-5, 6-3 victory over last year’s runner-up Fritz in Turin.

He will qualify for the semi-finals if Alex de Minaur beats home hope Lorenzo Musetti in Tuesday’s second match.

“I’m really happy that I was able to come back, find my good tennis,” Alcaraz said.

“I just tried to make the most of the opportunities that he gave to me. I think we played great tennis, some great points.”

Alcaraz, who was replaced by rival Jannik Sinner as world number one following the Paris Masters earlier this month, will finish 2025 at the top of the rankings if he beats Musetti on Thursday.

Sinner has to successfully defend his Finals title, unbeaten, to have any chance of ending the season as number one for a second straight year.

Alcaraz now holds a 5-1 winning record against Fritz, whose only win against the Spaniard came at the Laver Cup in September.

The United States’ Fritz will face De Minaur in his last group contest.

Fritz swept aside Musetti in his opener on Monday with a dominant serving display.

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Alcaraz immediately showed he would put up stronger resistance on return, but Fritz managed to hold in a lengthy first game, hitting three aces and saving two break points.

The Spaniard also had to dig deep to level at 1-1, staving off three break points himself.

He appeared to have made the most of that mistake as Fritz was broken for the first time in the tournament, but Alcaraz could not consolidate the break and dropped serve too.

Both players’ serves continued to be tested, with Alcaraz seeing off two more break points in the eighth game as the first set eventually went to a tie-break.

But Fritz powered through the breaker, sealing a one-set lead after 70 minutes with his sixth ace.

Some brutal hitting with his forehand brought up the first break point of the second set for Fritz in the fifth game, but Alcaraz came out on top in a dramatic rally to save it.

Alcaraz saw off a second break point with an ace and finally got out of the draining, 21-minute service game when Fritz fired long, celebrating as if he had won the match.

Fritz fought through a difficult game himself to make it 4-all after Alcaraz netted a return on a break point, as the second set edged towards another tie-break.

But the American buckled under the pressure in the 12th game, as two wild unforced errors helped bring up three set points for Alcaraz.

The 22-year-old took the second opportunity, with a rasping passing shot, forcing a deciding set.

Fritz managed to stay on serve early in the third set, but the momentum of the match had shifted, and Alcaraz grabbed the crucial break in the sixth game.

Sixth seed Fritz showed great resolve to save three match points in game eight, but Alcaraz successfully served it out to love, sealing the win as Fritz blasted a backhand wide.

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Jannik Sinner defends ATP Finals title with Carlos Alcaraz in the hunt

Jannik Sinner will begin his bid to retain his ATP Finals title on Sunday and cap a turbulent year, which could end with another showdown with his great rival, Carlos Alcaraz.

World number one Sinner has won two Grand Slams, including a landmark victory in the Wimbledon final against Alcaraz, since cruising to victory in Turin this time last year.

Sinner and Alcaraz are almost certain to qualify from their respective Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors groups, and another epic clash between the world’s two best players in either the last four or final of the eight-man tournament is a tantalising prospect.

“If I manage to do it, great; if not, I’ve still had an incredible season, one with not a lot of tournaments but with a lot of matches played and plenty won,” Sinner told reporters on Friday.

“The first match is really important because usually you don’t play against one of the best eight players in the world, and that’s what makes it different for everyone.”

Sinner’s 2025 has also been dogged by controversy, with a three-month ban chopping out a large chunk of his season despite the World Anti-Doping Agency accepting that the Italian was accidentally contaminated with banned clostebol last year.

His decision to not take part in Italy’s Davis Cup title defence, in Bologna, has brought down hefty criticism from a portion of the country’s media who have never truly warmed to their biggest sports star.

Sinner’s origins in the German-speaking areas of the South Tyrol and residence in Monaco have frequently been used to cast doubt on whether he is Italian at all.

The 24-year-old insisted that he was “proud to be Italian” in an expansive interview given this week to Sky in Italy, Sinner’s number one media backer since he turned pro.

Regardless, he is beloved by the Italian public and will be cheered on by an army of fans in Turin, where last year he cruised to victory unbeaten while Alcaraz crashed out in the group stage.

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Sinner goes into the Finals first in the world rankings, but he could lose the top spot even if he wins the tournament. Alcaraz can grab the year-end summit by improving on his performance in last year’s event.

Alcaraz trained with Sinner on Friday ahead of his attempt for a first Finals crown.

The Spaniard is also looking to add to the two Grand Slams won this year, with the Roland Garros final won against Sinner one of the best matches ever played.

There is little tension between the two players, despite even that they are by some distance the best two players on the planet.

“Probably the people might be surprised about it because when they think about our rivalry, when they think about fighting for great things, fighting for the number one spot, (they think) we have to hate each other, and I think that’s not true,” Alcaraz said on Friday.

“Once we step on the court, we have our goals, we want to do our best just to win the match. But afterwards, when we shake hands off the court, we are the same person. And I think that’s a really healthy rivalry that we have.”

The Finals take place as a dispute simmers between tennis’ top men and women players and the Grand Slams over revenue sharing, player welfare and consultation.

The leading players of the ATP and WTA tours joined forces this year and asked the Slams for a higher percentage of tournament revenue and contributions towards tour-funded welfare programmes such as pensions.

On Thursday, women’s number one Aryna Sabalenka expressed frustration at the Grand Slam organisers’ apparent unwillingness to speak to the players after talks ground to a halt following the US Open in September.

On Friday, the men were reticent to speak about the subject, even though Sinner and seventh seed Alex de Minaur were player reps at a first meeting with the Slams in Paris at Roland Garros in May.

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Sinner, Alcaraz to meet in South Korea exhibition match

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will face off in an exhibition match in South Korea in January ahead of the Australian Open, organisers said Monday.

Italy’s Sinner usurped his rival from Spain as world number one after winning the Paris Masters for the first time on Sunday.

Four-time Grand Slam winner reclaimed the world number one ranking by defeating Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) in the final of the Paris Masters after Carlos Alcaraz suffered a surprising early exit in the second round.

As the pair head into the ATP Finals, taking place from November 9-16 in Turin, defending champion Sinner has significantly more points to defend compared to the Spaniard, who exited last year’s season-ending event during the group stage.

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Following the ATP Finals, the two best players in men’s tennis will meet in the “Hyundai Card Super Match” on January 10 in Incheon, near Seoul.

“For domestic tennis fans, it will be the very first opportunity to see the two top-ranked players compete,” said a Hyundai press release.

Carlos Alcaraz, who has complained about there being too many matches on the ATP Tour, leads their head-to-head record 10-5.

Jannik Sinner will defend his Australian Open title in the first Grand Slam of 2026, which begins in Melbourne on January 18.

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Japan Open: Alcaraz fights back to emulate Nadal with 10th final of season

Carlos Alcaraz battled back to beat Casper Ruud 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Monday in Tokyo and reach his 10th final of a spectacular season, emulating fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal.

The world number one and US Open champion Alcaraz will face his Laver Cup conqueror, Taylor Fritz, in Tuesday’s decider of the Japan Open.

No man, since the legendary Rafael Nadal in 2017, has reached 10 finals in a season.

“Following his steps in making 10 finals in a season is something great,” said Alcaraz, who also set a new personal best of 66 wins in a season.

“Hopefully it’s not going to end here — a few tournaments ahead, hopefully (I’ll) get to the finals there as well.”

Alcaraz has wowed the crowds this week, but he was in danger of being outshone by Norway’s world number 12 Ruud, who pulled off a series of spectacular winners to take the first set.

Alcaraz, who suffered an ankle injury on Thursday in his opener, regained control in the second set before closing out the match with another ferocious display of power-hitting.

“Emotionally, it was really tough to deal with everything today,” he said.

“I’m really happy to be able to turn around everything, and I ended that match playing such great tennis. “I’m excited to be playing in another final.”

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His opponent will be world number five Taylor Fritz, who beat the Spanish superstar in San Francisco two weeks ago.

Fritz beat fellow American Jenson Brooksby 6-4, 6-3 in the day’s other semi-final.

Alcaraz practiced with Fritz in Tokyo before the tournament began, and he described his final opponent as “a really difficult player to play against”.

“That practice gave me a really good feedback to how I should approach the match,” said Alcaraz.

“I will try to play my best tennis tomorrow — my Plan A, if I want to beat him — because his level is pretty high right now.”

Alcaraz picked up from where he left off in his quarter-final win over Brandon Nakashima, pounding Ruud with some huge forehands early in the match.

But the Norwegian had a few tricks up his sleeve as well, drawing applause from Alcaraz when he floated a winner to the baseline from a difficult angle.

Ruud took the first set when Alcaraz, beginning to show signs of frustration, hit a return long.

The 22-year-old came back strongly, sending down nine aces in the second set alone to tie up the match.

Alcaraz broke Ruud midway through the third set and never looked back, sealing victory with another jackhammer forehand.

“Physically, it can be better, I’m not going to lie,” said Alcaraz, who has been playing with his ankle strapped since his injury.

“Just doing the best work that I can with my team, with my physio, and hopefully tomorrow it will be even better.”

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Alcaraz outshines rival Sinner to win second US Open

Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in four sets on Sunday to win the US Open and reassert his dominance of an era-defining rivalry in a final delayed by the visit of President Donald Trump.

The 22-year-old Alcaraz won 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to capture his second US Open crown and sixth Grand Slam title, avenging his lone defeat in a major final by Sinner at Wimbledon in July.

“It’s a great feeling. I’m working really hard just to lift this trophy. It’s my second one, but it’s still a dream come true,” said Alcaraz.

Alcaraz will reclaim the world number one ranking from Sinner, returning to top spot on Monday for the first time since September 2023 after ending the Italian’s 27-match winning run at hard-court Grand Slams.

“It was one of the first goals that I had, to recover the number one (ranking),” said Alcaraz, who also defeated Sinner in an epic French Open final in June.

Alcaraz has now won seven of the past eight meetings and is 10-5 overall against Sinner.

“I tried my best today. I couldn’t do more,” said Sinner. “I felt like he was doing everything slightly better today.

“He raised his level when he had to… He played better than me today.”

Alcaraz and Sinner have shared the last eight Grand Slams on offer, winning four apiece to assert their superiority over the rest of the sport, including Novak Djokovic.

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But while Sinner is 109-4 against the rest of the tour over the past two seasons, Alcaraz has had his number.

“It’s going to be on me if I want to make changes or not,” said Sinner. “That’s what I have to do, trying to become a better tennis player.”

Sinner’s defeat at Flushing Meadowns extends the longest drought without a successful men’s title defence of any Grand Slam in the Open era.

No man has retained the US Open crown since Roger Federer won five in a row from 2004 to 2008.

Anticipation for the third straight Grand Slam final between the game’s top two players assumed an even greater dimension with the presence of Trump.

It was the latest in a series of visits to major sporting events for the US leader after his trip to the NFL’s Super Bowl in February and the FIFA Club World Cup final in July.

He appeared before the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner, waving to the crowd, which greeted him with a mix of cheers and boos. He was given a frostier reception later in the match though when shown again on the stadium’s big screens.

A constellation of showbiz and sports icons turned out as well Sunday, with rock star Bruce Springsteen, fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger, actor Michael Douglas, and basketball superstar Stephen Curry all on hand.

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Carlos Alcaraz downs Novak Djokovic to punch US Open final ticket

Carlos Alcaraz said he is increasingly learning what it takes to consistently play his best tennis as he dispatched Novak Djokovic in straight sets on Friday to reach a second US Open final.

The 22-year-old Alcaraz advanced to his third consecutive Grand Slam final with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 victory over 24-time major winner Djokovic.

The Spaniard has won 45 of his last 47 matches and made the final at eight straight tournaments, a run starting with his triumph in Monte Carlo in April.

“It’s something that I’m working on, just the consistency on the matches, on the tournaments, on the year in general. Just not having up-and-downs in the match,” said Alcaraz.

“Just the level that I start the match, just wanted to keep that level really high during the whole match.

“I’m thinking I’m doing that in this tournament, which I’m really proud about. I’m just getting mature. I’m just getting to know myself much better, what I need on and off the court.”

The Spaniard is seeking his sixth major and second in New York after winning the title in 2022.

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He will play reigning champion Jannik Sinner or Canadian 25th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in Sunday’s final after avenging a quarter-final loss to Djokovic at the Australian Open.

“Beating Novak is always special. But I don’t feel like I’ve won anything more than a Grand Slam semi-final. It was an important match, but it was just a ticket to the final,” said Alcaraz.

His only loss in his last 37 matches came against Sinner in the Wimbledon final.

“I am performing at a high level and sending a message to the people on the circuit that this is my level,” said Alcaraz.

“It is not something exceptional that has happened in one or two tournaments, but rather it is truly my level.

“It is not my maximum level; I still have room to improve, but it is a high level.”

Djokovic suffered his fourth straight semi-final loss at a Grand Slam and foiled the 38-year-old’s bid to become the oldest major champion.

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“It’s impressive what he has done this year in the Slams,” said Alcaraz.

“I told him he always looks like 25 a 25-year-old physically, so to maintain that level at 38, it’s impressive.”

It is the first time since 2017 that Djokovic has failed to reach a Grand Slam final.

His exit also means it is the first season since 2002 where one of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, or Roger Federer has not reached the final of a major.

“I lost three out of four Slams in semis against these guys (Alcaraz and Sinner), so they’re just too good, you know, playing on a really high level,” said Djokovic.

“It will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner, Alcaraz, in the best-of-five on the Grand Slams.

“I think I have a better chance in best-of-three, but best-of-five, it’s tough.”

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Novak Djokovic sets up US Open semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz

Novak Djokovic advanced to a blockbuster US Open showdown with Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday as reigning women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka vaulted into the semi-finals without having to lift her racquet.

Djokovic snuffed out Taylor Fritz’s hopes of becoming the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title since 2003 with a 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 quarter-final victory on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

The win sent the 38-year-old Serbian, chasing a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam victory, into a mouthwatering semi-final against Spanish second seed Alcaraz on Friday.

Djokovic clinched victory when fourth seed Fritz double-faulted on match point in the 10th game of the final set and could not hide his relief at finally emerging victorious.

“In this kind of match, a few points on either side decide the winner,” he said. “It was an incredibly close match. It was really anybody’s match.”

Fritz was left ruing his failure to make the most of the opportunities that came his way, converting only two of 13 points during an absorbing three-hour 24-minute battle.

The American fourth seed squandered five break points in the opening set that would have made it 5-4, instead allowing Djokovic to wriggle off the hook and take a one-set lead.

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Then, after battling back to break Djokovic to get to 5-5 in the second, Fritz was broken immediately to surrender the initiative.

Djokovic duly held to take a two-set lead, and while Fritz hit back to take the third set, the veteran Serb regrouped to wrap up victory in the next set.

“I thought I was really lucky to save some crucial break points in the second set,” Djokovic said. “I think for most of the second and third sets he was the better player.”

Novak Djokovic will meet Carlos Alcaraz in the last four, with the 22-year-old Spaniard in blistering form.

The five-time Grand Slam champion needed just one hour and 56 minutes to seal a convincing 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 defeat of Czech 20th seed Jiri Lehecka.

Alcaraz has not dropped a set during a relentless march into the semi-finals and was once again in complete control against Lehecka.

“I just played a really, or almost, perfect match,” said Alcaraz, who has won 35 of his last 36 matches since the start of the Italian Open in May.

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“It seems like, OK, just two more steps to do, and let’s see what happens. But yeah, I’m just feeling great and hungry to make it.”

In the women’s draw on Tuesday, world number one and defending champion Sabalenka moved into the semi-finals after Czech quarter-final opponent Marketa Vondrousova pulled out with a knee injury.

Sabalenka, bidding to become the first woman to successfully defend the US Open since Serena Williams completed a hat-trick of titles in 2014, extended sympathy to Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion.

The walkover sets up a repeat of last year’s US Open final in the last four, with Sabalenka facing American fourth seed Jessica Pegula on Thursday.

Pegula reached the semi-finals earlier on Tuesday after a 6-3, 6-3 defeat of unseeded Czech Barbora Krejcikova.

Pegula entered the US Open on the back of a dismal run of form that had seen her make early exits at WTA tournaments in Washington, Montreal, and Cincinnati.

But she has rediscovered her confidence while moving stealthily through the rounds at New York, albeit against a series of unseeded opponents.

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Carlos Alcaraz defeats Hamad Medjedovic to reach Cincinnati Open fourth round

Carlos Alcaraz outplayed Hamad Medjedovic to reach the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open here at P&G Centre Court on Tuesday.

The Spaniard moved through hours before an evening rainstorm and lightning spoiled the nighttime scenario, leaving men’s and women’s third-seeded players stranded in third-round matches.

Alexander Zverev was set to serve for the match against Brandon Nakashima, leading the American 6-4, 5-4, when the match was forced off the court by the threat of lightning..

It was a similar situation for American Jessica Pegula, fighting back against Pole Magda Linette, who won the first set 7-6 (7/5), before last year’s finalist claimed the second 6-3.

Toronto champion Ben Shelton never got on court against Roberto Bautista Agut due to rainstorm conditions that forced officials to call it a night early.

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Second seed Carlos Alcaraz kept his exposure to a minimum in 32 Celsius conditions, taking an efficient 95 minutes to dispatch Serb Hamad Medjedovic 6-4, 6-4, for his 50th match win of the year.

“Medjedovic doesn’t like to run that much, so I tried to move him around as much as possible,” Alcaraz said. “But it was difficult with the ball flying so much and his shots coming so fast. I tried to defend in a good way.”

Alcaraz has been on a tear in 2025 as he chases Jannik Sinner in the ATP rankings, and now owns 13 straight victories at the Masters 1000 level.

He will play for the quarter-finals against Luca Nardi after the Italian defeated Jakob Mensik 6-2, 2-1, with the Czech retiring after 42 minutes.

Five-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz, who is preparing for the approaching US Open start, added: “I was really happy to get the win in a very difficult match.

“The season is very long and in at least half of your matches you don’t feel that good (physically).

“But you have to stay positive and play your best tennis on the day. I’m proud about that. It’s a goal of the season.”

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