Carlos Alcaraz almost lost to Taylor Fritz at the ATP Finals, but he pulled off an outstanding comeback. He lost the first set 6‑7 in a tiebreak, but fought back to win 7‑5, 6‑3 in nearly three hours. Fritz had the momentum early, and it looked like he might seal the match. Alcaraz had to save several critical points just to stay in the game, and that’s what made his win so dramatic. But the story didn’t end there; his performance caught the attention of tennis experts, including Coco Gauff’s former coach.

Brad Gilbert shared his thoughts on X: “This is such a huge match for Escape from Alcaraz in quest for year-end number one.” Gilbert is right, this win was huge for Alcaraz’s chances. Yet even with praise from the experts, how did Alcaraz himself feel about his struggles during the match?

Speaking after the match, Carlos Alcaraz opened up about his struggles: “It was pretty tight; I was struggling more than him in the first set. I wasn’t serving well, and he was very comfortable from the baseline, from everywhere…” He further added, “I was really relieved after the win because of everything I went through during the match. I wasn’t feeling the ball as well as I was in the first round, but I’m really happy that I found a way to come back and find weakness from him.”

But now, with the semifinals looming, what does he need to do next to keep his title hopes alive?

If Alex de Minaur beats Lorenzo Musetti, Alcaraz moves on, regardless of what happens in his third match. But if Musetti wins, Alcaraz has to win his next one against Musetti. But for this match, key moments came in the second and third sets.

At 2‑2 in the second set, Alcaraz saved a tough break point, then stopped Fritz from taking the lead at 4‑4. At 6‑6, a lucky net cord helped Alcaraz break serve and take the set 7‑5. In the third set, he broke Fritz early and stayed strong until the finish. Fritz had chances, but Carlos Alcaraz stayed calm. This fightback not only keeps his year-end No. 1 hopes alive but also shows why he’s one of the most exciting players in tennis right now, but can he turn this momentum into a decisive advantage in Turin?

Carlos Alcaraz stays calm as Sinner struggles to catch the year-end no. 1

Carlos Alcaraz is now just 50 points behind rival Jannik Sinner in the race for ATP Year-End No. 1. One more win in Turin would secure the top spot early. And when the same thing was asked to Carlos Alcaraz after his latest victory, Alcaraz said, “I try not to think about it to be honest. Obviously it’s gonna be a really big match for me. I will try not to let the nerves play a bad time for me in that match. I’ll try to control the emotions, to control myself. “

He added, “I’ll think about my goals in the match. I’ll try to think about feeling much better than today with the shots, with the serve, with everything. Obviously it’s gonna be a big day. Right now I’m gonna enjoy this win and try to rest as much as I can to be ready for the match.” But with Alcaraz ready, what does this mean for Sinner? Can he still challenge for the top spot?

In the case of Sinner, it is now much harder to overtake Alcaraz. Even then, he has to win the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals title to have a chance. One round-robin defeat would enhance the possibilities of Carlos Alcaraz, which implies that Sinner needs to play almost flawlessly.

Sinner himself has admitted the challenge is immense. “The number one ranking is impossible now. I’m not thinking about it for the moment; it will be a goal for next year. This year, it’s out of my hands. Given the year I’ve had, with fantastic successes, what I want is to finish the season in the best possible way. If I can achieve something big, great; if not, it’s not the end of the world,” the world number two said in Paris. With Carlos Alcaraz in such strong form, the race for year-end No. 1 now seems firmly in his favor, though Sinner will still play out his matches, including against Alexander Zverev, before the season concludes.