Carlos Alcaraz breaks Turin curse with victory over Alex de Minaur

There was a sense of quiet defiance stitched into every stroke Carlos Alcaraz struck under the bright lights of the Inalpi Arena. After two straight opening-match flops at the ATP Finals, the young Spaniard arrived on Sunday not just to compete, but to reclaim a narrative that had begun to drift from his grip.

And he did by by beating Alex de Minaur and sending a tough message.

In a match that simmered early and boiled late, Alcaraz steadied himself to pull off a 7-6(5), 6-2 win, finally breaking his round-robin duck at the season-ending showpiece.

The victory bumped him to 1-0 in the Jimmy Connors Group and, perhaps more significantly, firmed up his charge for the year-end No. 1 spot.

“I’m just really, really happy with the level I played today,” Alcaraz said, almost exhaling with relief. “First matches in this tournament are never easy. But this one… this one means a lot.”

He had reason to exhale. Less than half an hour in, Alcaraz was up 4-1, 40-0, dazzling with drop shots, daring forehands, and a sense of rhythm that had the Turin crowd pulsing.

But de Minaur, ever the scrapper, fought back with the kind of grit that makes him such a thorn. The set became a battle of nerves and nuance, culminating in a tense tiebreak.

Twice, Alcaraz found himself down a mini-break. And twice, he climbed out, winning four straight points from 3-5 down to flip the set on its head.

It wasn’t always pretty. His 21 winners in the opening set were nearly matched by 19 unforced errors. But there was an edge to him. A hunger not to repeat past stumbles.

And when he got his grip, he never let go. Set two was swift, surgical. After trading early breaks, Alcaraz rattled off four games on the trot, closing with the kind of authority that silences doubt.

“Alex is super fast, especially on this surface,” he said. “It makes him really tricky to play. But I stayed focused, stayed aggressive. And yeah, I’m proud.”

Alcaraz had arrived at the ATP Finals before, but never truly landed. Losses to Zverev in 2023 and Ruud in 2024 had cast a shadow over his late-season form. Now, he’s made his mark and changed the script.

With this win, Alcaraz inches closer to the year-end No. 1, a title he last claimed in 2022.

According to the ATP math, he needs to reach the final with at least one round-robin win to guarantee it. Or just sweep the group outright. Either way, Sunday’s breakthrough was step one.