Carlos Alcaraz secures the year ending world No 1 ranking with a commanding win over Lorenzo Musetti as Alex de Minaur joins him in the ATP Finals semi finals

Carlos Alcaraz delivered a statement victory at the ATP Finals on Thursday night as he swept aside Lorenzo Musetti to reach the semi finals and secure the year ending world No 1 ranking. The 22 year old Spaniard needed one last win to overhaul Jannik Sinner in the rankings and he achieved it in emphatic style with a 6 4 6 1 triumph that lasted under ninety minutes. The result confirmed his place at the top of the men’s game at the end of the season for the second time in his career.

Alcaraz was already the youngest man in history to finish a year as world No 1 after achieving the feat in 2022 at just nineteen. His return to the summit completes a remarkable turnaround following the early months of the year when Sinner appeared to be pulling away. Alcaraz said after the match that he had barely considered the possibility of ending the season at No 1 until his form improved midway through the year. He then built unstoppable momentum as tournament victories piled up.

The Spaniard admitted that nerves had crept in throughout the match due to the significance of the ranking. He said the thought of reaching No 1 again was in his mind from the opening point and he found it difficult to remain relaxed. Despite this he struck the ball with his usual conviction and maintained control throughout. Musetti, who had entered the contest with a chance of reaching the semi finals, never established a foothold as Alcaraz’s depth and precision pinned him behind the baseline.

The opening set stayed close until Alcaraz found a late break to move ahead. Once he secured the lead he elevated his level and raced through the second set as the Italian struggled to match the physical and tactical demands of the rally exchanges. Alcaraz closed out the match on his third match point, completing a perfect sweep of the Jimmy Connors group with three wins from three matches.

The evening brought further drama as Alex de Minaur became the second player to qualify from the group. The Australian defeated Taylor Fritz 7 6 7 3 6 3 in a result that ended Fritz’s hopes of advancing and sparked celebrations in the de Minaur camp. His victory also ensured that Musetti could not progress even before his loss to Alcaraz.

De Minaur delivered one of his finest performances of the season. He chased every ball, applied relentless pressure and dominated the pivotal moments. Fritz, normally reliable on serve, struggled to find rhythm and was pushed around the court by the Australian’s quick movement. De Minaur opened the match with an early break and although Fritz recovered to force a tiebreak the Australian took command with two early minibreaks to secure the opening set.

The second set began in near identical fashion. De Minaur broke to love in the opening game and surged to a 3 0 lead as Fritz looked increasingly flat. Although the American saved a break point late in the set he never mounted a serious recovery and de Minaur calmly served out for victory. It marked a significant emotional rebound for the Australian who had endured a painful loss to Musetti earlier in the week after leading by a break in the final set.

De Minaur said afterwards that the win meant a great deal following a run of disappointments. He described the previous few days as dark and difficult but said the victory proved to him that perseverance can pay off. It also confirmed his progression to the semi finals in only his second appearance at the ATP Finals following a winless debut last year.

The stage is now set for an explosive finish in Turin as Alcaraz continues his pursuit of the title with renewed confidence and the world No 1 ranking secured