On the eve of the start of the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, it was difficult to imagine that Carlos Alcaraz could really contend for this title with his main rival Jannik Sinner. The truth is that the young Spanish ace has never played his best tennis on indoor hard courts, where he has often had problems adapting, as well as being back from the shocking elimination in the second round of the Paris Masters 1000 with a horrible performance against Cameron Norrie.
The world number 1 had shown up at the Inalpi Arena in Turin with many doubts, despite having practiced hard together with his team in the days before his arrival in Italy. The 22-year-old from Murcia had not particularly shone in his two previous appearances in this tournament either, considering that he had lost decisively to Serbian legend Novak Djokovic in the semifinals two years ago and had already been eliminated in the round robin in the last edition.
Alcaraz's level has risen
Carlitos has improved in all respects this season and is showing it here at the Finals as well. The six-time Grand Slam champion won his group undefeated beating Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz and Lorenzo Musetti and guaranteed himself the mathematical certainty of being world No. 1 at the end of the year.
He has also gained confidence on these courts and is destined to face the Canadian star Felix Auger-Aliassime for a place in the final. It's no secret that fans around the world dream of seeing a new chapter in the rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner before the end of 2025 and Turin would be the ideal place.
Speaking to 'Eurosport', Spanish legend Alex Corretja expressed his opinion on the matter: "I think Carlos' shape right now is definitely better than in previous years, also thanks to the fact that he didn't play in Shanghai. Sinner remains the huge favorite on this surface, but I think Alcaraz has a much better chance than last year when he arrived here exhausted."
