Carlos Alcaraz crowned World No. 1 as De Minaur squeezes into semis

On a cool November night under the dome of the Inalpi Arena, Carlos Alcaraz didn’t just win a tennis match. He wrapped up an unforgettable season with the kind of punctuation mark that etches names into the sport’s legacy.

With a 6–4, 6–1 win over Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti at the Nitto ATP Finals, the 22-year-old Spaniard officially sealed the year-end world No. 1 ranking for 2025 — his second time finishing atop the rankings, having first done so in 2022.

That makes him the 11th man in history to do it twice or more since the ATP rankings began in 1973. More remarkably, he’s now the second-youngest ever to pull off that double, trailing only Lleyton Hewitt, who achieved the feat at 21.

“This match was really important for me—playing for No. 1 wasn’t easy for me at the beginning with the nerves,” Alcaraz admitted during his on-court interview. “I tried to handle that pressure and those nerves the best that I could, so I’m just really happy with the match, with the level that I played today, and obviously to end the year at No. 1.”

Alcaraz’s latest conquest capped a perfect 3-0 run through the Jimmy Connors Group.

And while his performance secured personal glory, it also served up a bit of poetic justice in the draw. Alex de Minaur, whose semi-final hopes were hanging by a thread after a loss to Musetti earlier in the week, found himself vaulted into the final four thanks to Alcaraz’s dominance.

“It was a really important goal to end the year as the No. 1, but this tournament is really important for me,” Alcaraz added later. “I’m excited about qualifying for the semi-finals and hopefully getting to the final. We will see… Part of the job is done, but I’m excited to keep going.”

The Spaniard brought his signature brand of bold shotmaking to the fore, hammering 26 winners to Musetti’s eight and absorbing the wave of home-crowd energy like a seasoned maestro.

The crowd did their part to rally their man, especially in the early stages, but Musetti, despite flashes of brilliance, couldn’t sustain his level against Alcaraz’s relentless pace and precision.

“I think I managed to start really well and to serve big. That was the only chance I had to try to deal with Carlos’ game,” Musetti said post-match.

“Tonight I think he also served pretty well. He was managing to put me in a position where I had to run a lot and be really aggressive. At the end, of course, the physical part was tough to deal with. All the credit to Carlos, who played really incredible tennis. Every time he surprises me more. Hopefully one day I will have my revenge.”

Musetti’s win over De Minaur earlier in the week had left the group on a knife’s edge. But after De Minaur edged Taylor Fritz earlier on Thursday, the stage was set. Alcaraz, as always, took it with gusto and gave his Australian friend the lifeline he needed.

With Sinner already clinched atop the Bjorn Borg group, he’ll now face De Minaur in the semis. Alcaraz, meanwhile, awaits the winner of Alexander Zverev vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime in what promises to be a high-octane duel.