He also had to endure cauldron-like conditions in Turin, with the home crowd doing everything possible to rattle him and boost local hero Jannik Sinner.
But Alcaraz showed real grit against Taylor Fritz, coming from a set down to secure a semifinal berth. He then dismantled Lorenzo Musetti 6–4, 6–1, ensuring he finishes the year as the world’s best for the second time in his career the first being in 2022.
No Djokovic, no problems
Would we be having this conversation if Novak Djokovic hadn’t withdrawn at the eleventh hour? The Serb pulled out after winning his 101st career title at the inaugural Hellenic Championship, citing a shoulder injury. I suspect there was more to it than that.
Djokovic seemed visibly irritated last week after Italian tennis federation president Angelo Binaghi publicly claimed the world No.1 had confirmed his participation. From the outside, Djokovic’s withdrawal felt like a form of retribution for Binaghi speaking on his behalf.
Regardless of the true reason, his absence fundamentally reshaped the group. Lorenzo Musetti stepped in for the indoor master, and Alcaraz was always going to have too much for the clay-oriented Italian and for Alex de Minaur, the Aussie who had lost 16 straight matches to top 10 opponents before his upset over Fritz.
Defusing Fritz
Alcaraz’s defining match came against big-serving American Taylor Fritz. With Djokovic out, Fritz looked like the only player capable of stopping an Alcaraz round-robin sweep. He had also thrashed Alcaraz 6–3, 6–2 in their last indoor meeting at the Laver Cup.
The American came out firing again, taking the opening set as Alcaraz struggled to find rhythm. But the Spaniard wore him down, grinding out a three-set win despite rarely shifting above second gear.
That, in itself, says plenty: Alcaraz’s B-game was enough to subdue a fully charged, aggressive Fritz.
Alcaraz turns jeers into cheers
Alcaraz secured the No.1 ranking with a commanding straight-sets victory over Musetti. After a week of hostility from the Italian fans, beating Sinner’s compatriot en route to the top spot must have felt like poetic justice, as if he toppled two Italians in one evening.
In 2022, Alcaraz became the youngest year-end world No.1 since the rankings began in 1973.
With his latest triumph, he joins Djokovic as the only active players with multiple year-end No.1 finishes Djokovic has a remarkable eight.
Alcaraz now leads the tour with eight titles this season and has his sights set firmly on completing the career Grand Slam in Melbourne.
The inevitability of Sinneraz
Can Alcaraz ride this momentum and claim his maiden ATP Finals title? He has dominated the Sinner–Alcaraz rivalry this season, winning four of their five high-stakes encounters.
Still, they haven’t faced each other indoors since their very first tour-level meeting in 2021, when Alcaraz beat Sinner at the Paris Masters.
Sinner is an entirely different animal now, riding a staggering 28-match indoor winning streak.
If this week culminates in yet another Sinner–Alcaraz showdown, I can only see Sinner winning it even if the victory feels somewhat Pyrrhic.
If either player lifts the trophy, they will have combined for 14 titles this season, an astonishing statistic given Sinner’s three-month suspension.
Could this rivalry eventually make the tour too predictable? Perhaps. but that’s a debate for another day.