Spaniard finishes top of Jimmy Connors Group with a 3-0 record

Carlos Alcaraz blocked out the roar of a partisan Turin crowd on Thursday at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he reclaimed one of tennis’ most prestigious honours.

The 22-year-old Spaniard overcame debutant Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-1 inside a rocking Inalpi Arena to secure ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours for the first time since 2022. The victory capped a perfect 3-0 run through the Jimmy Connors Group and also sent Alex de Minaur — who defeated Taylor Fritz earlier on Thursday — through to the semi-finals in second place.

“The match was really important for me, playing for Year-End No.1,” said Alcaraz, who improved to 7-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Musetti. “It wasn’t easy at the beginning with the nerves. I tried to handle that pressure the best I could, so I’m just really happy with the level I played and to be able to end the year as the No. 1.”

By topping his group, Alcaraz has also opened the possibility of another final showdown with defending champion Jannik Sinner, who has already sealed his finish at the top of the Bjorn Borg Group with two wins.

Alcaraz absorbed the full force of the home support early on and stayed committed to the high-risk, high-reward tactics that has defined his campaign at the Nitto ATP Finals. Despite tallying 21 unforced errors, he struck 26 winners to Musetti’s eight to unsettle the Italian, sealing his 83-minute triumph with trademark flair.

“It was a really important goal to end the year as the No. 1, but this tournament is really important for me,” added Alcaraz, who is chasing his first Nitto ATP Finals. “I’m excited about qualifying for the semi-finals and hopefully getting to the final. We will see… Part of the job is done, but I’m excited to keep going.”

Needing a win to join Alcaraz in the last four, Musetti produced flashes of brilliance to ignite the crowd in the opening set, including a series of crisp approaches to the net. Yet the Italian struggled to maintain that level in the extended rallies and was unable to convert either of his two break points, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“I think I managed to start really well and to serve big. That was the only chance I had to try to deal with Carlos' game,” said Musetti. “Tonight I think he also served pretty well. He was managing to put me in a position where I had to run a lot and be really aggressive.

“At the end, of course, the physical part was tough to deal with. All the credit to Carlos, who played really incredible tennis. Every time he surprises me more. Hopefully one day I will have my revenge.”

Musetti’s stirring victory over De Minaur on Tuesday — in which he reeled off the final four games — had kept his semi-final hopes alive and left the Australian’s fate uncertain. Two days later, De Minaur responded with a clutch win over Fritz and now advances to a semi-final showdown with defending champion Sinner.