Carlos Alcaraz’s first ATP Finals win seals records Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer never had
Carlos Alcaraz recorded his first win at the ATP Finals when he beat Andrey Rublev 7-5 6-2, with his big win seeing him secure a couple more records to add to his sparkling record.
Alcaraz has had a dip in form over the last few weeks, but his first two years on the ATP Tour have seen him set more than a few records, with his latest victory taking him to new heights.
The brilliant Spaniard is the first player U-21 to win over 120 matches in the ATP across two seasons since Rafael Nadal registered 138 wins across the 2005-2006 season.
He is also the third player in this century under the age of 21 to claim 10 wins against top-10 in a calendar year after Lleyton Hewitt (2000-01) and Rafael Nadal (2006).
Both Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer took time to find their feet on the senior ATP Tour before their winning dominance was established, but Alcaraz is ahead of their records with two Grand Slam titles already in his collection at the age of 20.
Alcaraz snapped a three-match losing streak as he beat Rublev 7-5 6-2 in Turin, with his level of performance too much for an opponent who lost his temper in the heat of battle.
It was the first encounter between the Spaniard and Russian, with the latter hoping to bounce back from Monday’s loss to compatriot Daniil Medvedev.
Instead, he found himself pinned back by world number two Alcaraz, who never faced a break point and kept his hopes of advancing from the Red Group alive with his first win at the year-end event after missing the last edition with an abdominal injury.
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Alcaraz’s critical break came in the 11th game of the first set, during which he dropped just one point on his first serve and soon his opponent began to unravel.
Rublev dropped his serve to start the second set and could not rein in his reaction as he slammed his racquet against his knee with such force he drew blood, mopping it up with a towel at his chair before returning to the court.
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It was all too much to overcome as Alcaraz, who finished with 21 winners to 11 unforced errors, sealed the 74-minute victory with his first match point.
The 20-year-old, who improved to 1-1 following his opening loss to Alexander Zverev, will face Medvedev to conclude the group stage on Friday while Rublev will take on Zverev.
“I’m really happy to get my first win at the Masters here in Torino, I played at such a great level I’m really happy about it,” said Alcaraz on court.
“The first match was a tough match for me and it was a tough moment after it but I’m really happy with the way I came back.
“It was a very different match compared to the first one (against Zverev). I had a really good day in practice yesterday and it showed me the level I needed to get to.
“I’m really happy with the way I played and I needed to realise that this is a really fast court. You have to be more aggressive than your opponent. That’s the key. That’s what I did coming into this match.”
Alcaraz is now firmly in the mix to reach the semi-finals at the ATP Finals, but he may be second favourite heading into his final Red Group match against Medvedev on Friday.
