Carlos Alcaraz defeated Lorenzo Musetti at the ATP Finals
Alcaraz ends year as no 1 with three wins at the tournament
Alcaraz’s win over Musetti also means that Alex De Minaur qualifies for the last four
Carlos Alcaraz has ensured that he will finish 2025 as the world number one after defeating Lorenzo Musetti at the ATP Finals.
Coming into the tournament, Alcaraz knew three wins in as many group-stage matches would see him hold off Jannik Sinner for the year-end top spot, and the Spaniard did exactly that after a 6-4 6-1 triumph over Musetti in Turin.
Musetti needed to beat Alcaraz if he was to reach the semi-finals of the competition, and the home favourite started well on serve. Unfortunately for the Italian, so did Alcaraz.
Neither player managed to create a break-point opportunity in the opening nine games, but Alcaraz eventually got the better of Musetti after squandering one such chance in game 10.
Musetti saved a break point in his first service game of the second set, but Alcaraz then reeled off five consecutive games, including two breaks, before securing victory with an unreturnable serve on his third match point.
Alcaraz’s win over Musetti also means that Alex De Minaur qualifies for the last four of the ATP Finals, after he beat Taylor Fritz earlier on Thursday.
Data Debrief: Alcaraz returns to the summit
Alcaraz is just the second player since 1973 to hold multiple year-end ATP number-one rankings before turning 23, after Lleyton Hewitt (2001-02).
And, at the age of 22 years and 188 days, he is also the youngest player to claim 70+ match wins in a season at ATP level since Novak Djokovic (22 years, 164 days) in 2009.
He is also just the third player aged under 23 to win all three group matches at the ATP Finals, after Andy Murray (2008) and Sinner (2023).
Sinner was the year-end number one in 2024, and the Italian will look to get a measure of revenge over his rival if they meet in the showpiece match.
