Strong Start: Alcaraz Sweeps de Minaur in Turin Opener
By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, November 9, 2025
Photo credit: Marco Bertorello/AFP/Getty
Arriving in Turin off a sloppy Paris defeat, Carlos Alcaraz faced fading tiebreaker prospects down.
Down a mini-break, Alcaraz launched a laser line show to light up his Turin opener.
Alcaraz torched winners down the line, turning back Alex de Minaur 7-6(5), 6-2 in his ATP Finals opener today.
The second-seeded Spaniard smacked 11 backhand winners overcoming a sloppy stretch of play in the first set with a fierce finish. Alcaraz hit 32 winners—20 more than the Demon—and converted four of seven break points after de Minaur was two points from the first set up 5-4 in the tiebreaker.
“I was serving well, playing well, that 4-1 40-love that I couldn’t make it, it was important in the first set,” Alcaraz told Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj. “After that, I was struggling a little bit. I think he increased his level and his game a little bit more as well, which I think was normal. He’s always trying to find solutions.
“In the tiebreak, I tried to just stay strong mentally, stay strong to make my chances and opportunities. I’m really happy that I made it. Then in the second set, I pulled out all the nerves. I tried to enjoy even more and play my style and I’m really happy I was able to do it.”
Off to a flyer ✈️
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 9, 2025
World No.1 @carlosalcaraz defeats Alex de Minaur 7-6 6-2 in his 2025 #NittoATPFinals opener 👊 pic.twitter.com/Z1xHzRWTPI
The victory begins Alcaraz’s quest to surpass defending Turin champion Jannik Sinner to seize the year-end world No. 1 ranking and makes him the early front-runner in the Jimmy Connors Group of round-robin play.
“I think for me the most important thing for me to come here at the end of the year is to feel good physically, to feel healthy, or as healthy as I can,” Alcaraz said. “I tried to be focused on what I want to improve to play this tournament. I made really important physical preparation, I practiced well. My focus is to adapt myself as much as I can on in the indoor court and play aggressive and good tennis here.”
Holding triple break point in the sixth game, Alcaraz was one point from a double-break 5-1 lead. Then de Minaur found his first serve just in time denying all three break points to hold for 2-4.
That spirited stand—combined with Alcaraz gagging on a routine short forehand—helped the Aussie break for the first time to get back on serve at 3-4.
The seventh-seeded Aussie completely flipped the first-set script. De Minaur drilled his second ace of the game capping a love hold to force the tiebreaker.
An impatient Alcaraz was over-hitting at times and de Minaur exploited the Spaniard’s impetuous instincts. De Minaur crushed a short forehand then earned the mini break for a 5-3 tiebreaker lead as Alcaraz sailed a backhand.
Serving at 5-4, de Minaur couldn’t land his first serve. Alcaraz threw down a superb leaping smash to level. When the Aussie netted a forehand, Alcaraz gained set point. Alcaraz closed a tight 62-minute set when de Minaur flew a forehand down the line long.
An empowered Alcaraz charged to a triple break point lead to start the second set. Lining up his two-hander, Alcaraz blasted a backhand strike breaking for 1-0 after 68 minutes.
Though de Minaur regained the break when Alcaraz tripped a two-hander off the tape, the Aussie’s serve was under assault again in game three.
Stepping into the court, Alcaraz torched his two-hander down the line again scoring his second straight break for a 2-1 second-set lead.
This time, Alcaraz made the break stand breezing through a love hold to consolidate for 3-1.
Though de Minaur’s anticipation and fast first step are two weapons that help him lead the ATP Tour in hard-court wins this year, Alcaraz administered a deadly dose of line drives to break again.
Scorching a pair of backhand winners down the line—Alcaraz hit nine backhand winners by then—the Spaniard gained another break point.
An airborne Alcaraz rocketed a rising forehand strike down the line for his third straight break and a 4-1 lead.
“In terms of today, I think he brought out some of the highest level that he has played against me,” de Minaur said. “The way I kind of look at that is when he’s hitting his backhand line at
the level that he was today, he’s playing with a lot of confidence, right? Normally that’s the side where I feel more comfortable in when rallies are being played. But today he was on, right?
“That backhand line, he broke me a couple times just hitting plain winners. When he’s playing in that kind of mood, it’s pretty tough to hang on, right? When he’s playing at his top level, he’s got a lot of weapons and can hit winners from anywhere on the court. I look at that first set, I look at it like I had it in my hands. If I would have won that set, I don’t think he plays that level in the second set, so…
“We’ll move on and get ready for the next one.”
A crackling forehand down the line gave Alcaraz a second match point. Stepping in, the Spaniard stroked a clean backhand crosscourt closing in 100 minutes.
Post Comment