What Carlos Alcaraz said about year-end No 1 feat, his indoor record and calls for Davis Cup change

Ewan West 14 Nov 2025 9:15 AM

Carlos Alcaraz speaks at a press conference

Carlos Alcaraz spoke about a range of topics, including clinching the year-end No 1 ranking, after defeating Lorenzo Musetti at the 2025 ATP Finals in Turin.

The 22-year-old downed world No 9 Musetti 6-4, 6-1 to ensure he topped the Jimmy Connors Group at the season-ending championships with a 3-0 record.

Alcaraz‘s victory means he will finish 2025 on top of the ATP Rankings ahead of his rival, Jannik Sinner, who is ranked second. This is the second year Alcaraz will end as world No 1 after 2022.

Carlos Alcaraz speaks after topping Jimmy Connors Group at ATP Finals

Carlos Alcaraz labelled 2025 his best season on indoor courts and spoke about his preparation for the end of the campaign
The Spaniard spoke about the different feelings that come with securing the year-end No 1 ranking and winning a Grand Slam title
The six-time major champion called for changes to the Davis Cup as he was asked if the team competition should be held less often than every year

The world No 1 will face either Alexander Zverev or Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semi-finals at the ATP Finals, where he is chasing a maiden title.

Here is everything Alcaraz said in his press conference after defeating Musetti in Turin.

Reaction to finishing year as world No 1 and reaching ATP Finals semi-finals

ALCARAZ: Well, it’s a great achievement. It was the goal to end the year as No 1. Yeah, after getting the win in this match and know that I got and achieved my goal of the year, it means a lot. I think I’ve been playing great tennis. Excited about keep it going. I’m playing a semi-final here in the ATP Finals.

Has this been Alcaraz’s best season on indoor courts?

ALCARAZ: Well, I would say is difficult to say that is my best season on indoor courts because I just played Paris Bercy, and Paris Bercy I lost in the first round. Here it’s still the semi-final. So let’s see how it’s going to be. I reached the semi-final here back in 2023 again, so I don’t know. I don’t play too many indoors tournaments per year, which means that I don’t get so much experience on playing in this surface. But just feeling great after every match. Yeah, hopefully in the semi-final still keep feeling even better… I forgot that I won Rotterdam, so… I forgot that. I would say yeah, it’s my best season indoor so far.

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Alcaraz’s process to prepare for the end of the season

ALCARAZ: Coming at the end of the season, approaching the indoor swing at the end of the season, for me it’s always great having time at home preparing as much as I can or as good as I can these tournaments. It doesn’t mean that I’m going to play well or not. I’m just really happy that I came here with confident, knowing that I’m playing a great tennis. I had really good preparation before this tournament. It’s always to get to know yourself, what you need on and off the court. I think approaching this time of the year, I think I’ve done it pretty well.

Comparing the feeling of securing the year-end No 1 ranking with winning a Grand Slam

ALCARAZ: Well, I would say it’s different feelings. Winning Grand Slams is always a goal. End the year as No 1, obviously it’s always a goal as well. Securing ending the year as No 1 here, for example in this match, the tournament is not over, you have to play a semi-final. The tournament keeps going. It’s kind of different because always it’s great, you can celebrate it with my team, with my close people that they are here. But right after you got to still focus on recover, on going as soon as bed as you can, just to be ready for the semi-final.

Comparing to winning a Grand Slam, the tournament is over, you can relax, you can do whatever you want after achieve one of the best things you can achieve on our sport, that is getting a Grand Slam. I would say it’s kind of a different feeling.

Would it be better to hold the Davis Cup Finals every two or three years?

ALCARAZ: If I am honest with you, I think the Davis Cup is one of those tournaments that you’re not used to feel and play because you’re playing for your country, you’re playing with your teammates. It’s totally different. I think it’s one of the most privileged things you can do in our sport, representing your country. I agree that they got to do something in this event, because I think playing every year, I mean, it is not as good as it might be if you’re playing every two or three years. I think if the tournament is played like every two years or every three years, the players, the commitment of the players, it’s going to be even more because it’s unique, it’s different.

You’re not able to play every year. Yeah, I’m playing this year. I really want to win the Davis Cup one day because for me it’s a really important, important tournament. Jannik [Sinner] has won it twice. I think Lorenzo [Musetti] once or twice, as well. For me, I would say it’s normal for them because the season has been so long. They might keep it to have one more week to recover, to do vacation, to do pre-season, which is understandable. It’s normal. But I would say they got to do something about it to make the Davis Cup unique.