Carlos Alcaraz had his best shot at winning the ATP Finals, but things didn’t go as planned in Turin.
The Spanish superstar lost to Jannik Sinner 7-6(4), 7-5 in what was his first ATP Finals final. To make matters worse, he hurt his hamstring during the match.
It’s been a pretty amazing year for the 22-year-old. Alcaraz won eight titles in 2025 and was gunning for his ninth at the ATP Finals. He even had his sights set on a tenth title at the upcoming Davis Cup Finals.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Alcaraz | 22 | 68,791 | 25 - 5 |
That dream of hitting double digits will have to wait.
The injury that had everyone worried
During the first set, Alcaraz called for the physio to check out his hamstring. The medical team came back several times throughout the match, eventually wrapping up his right thigh.
You could see the concern on his face every time he had to chase down a tough shot.
After the match, everyone wanted to know: did the injury cost him the title? Alcaraz wasn’t having any of that talk.
"I felt something in my hamstring after trying to catch one serve. I could say it didn’t affect me too much, to be honest, because I could run well, I could go to the balls well."
But he admitted the mental side was tricky.
"Obviously, the thoughts about how is going to be if I do crazy things that I’m used to doing, how it’s going to be, those thoughts were in my mind sometimes. But I could play well."
The thing is, Alcaraz’s movement is usually his biggest weapon. When you’re second-guessing whether you can make those spectacular defensive shots you’re famous for, that’s tough.
Sinner was just better when it mattered most. Alcaraz had a set point in the first set and even led by a break in the second. But the Italian found another gear in the crucial moments.
"Don’t get me wrong, because I’m not going to say I could play better or I could do something better if my hamstring were well. I could play a really good tennis with it. The loss is because he deserved it."
That’s pretty classy from someone who just watched his best chance at the ATP Finals slip away.
Davis Cup still on the horizon
David Ferrer was probably holding his breath watching from the sidelines. Spain’s Davis Cup captain needs his star player healthy for the finals in Bologna.
The good news? Alcaraz says he’s still planning to compete.
When asked about his strategy against Sinner, he got into the tactical side of things. He tried to be more aggressive than usual, especially against someone as dangerous as the Italian.
"Every time that I can, just trying to go forward. It works, to be honest, because I was a break up. I was serving well."
He was up 3-2 in the second set at one point. A few mistakes here and there, and suddenly Sinner was back in control.
"Few mistakes that I didn’t have to make, to be honest."
But Alcaraz seemed genuinely happy with how he played, injury and all.
"In general, I think it was a great plan that I did today. That’s why I’m really happy with the level and the performance that I did today, because I think I didn’t do too many things wrong, which is great."
Spain’s Davis Cup hopes are still alive. Alcaraz confirmed he’s heading to Bologna as planned, which has to be music to Ferrer’s ears.
The hamstring scare might’ve cost him the ATP Finals, but it sounds like it won’t keep him from representing his country. After the season he’s had, you can bet he’s not ready to slow down just yet.
