alcaraz-nitto-atp-finals-2024-preview | Nitto ATP Finals

At just 21 years old, Carlos Alcaraz is already the champion of four Grand Slam titles and five ATP Masters 1000 titles. The Spaniard has spent 36 weeks at No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings and won the silver medal at the Olympic Games in July.

However, when the Nitto ATP Finals arrive, Alcaraz feels he still has something to prove. The Murcian missed the tournament in 2022 due to injury before losing his debut in straight sets to seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals last year.

“Last year was a difficult end to the year for me,” Alcaraz said this Thursday in Turin before the prestigious end-of-season tournament. “I couldn’t play at my best level. The last two games here were pretty good but the two before that, in the three tournaments I didn’t play at my best level, so I realized that I had to change a little at this time of year, like I have done now.”

“I come a little different. I approach this tournament a little differently, knowing that there are things I have to change to have a good result here and go far. Last year I didn’t start well from the first games. I will try to play at the same level and play good tennis. “I come here with a lot of motivation.”

Put dialogue 😄#NittoATPFinals | @carlosalcarazpic.twitter.com/p9ST4HCihr

— ATP Tour en Español (@ATPTour_ES) November 7, 2024

Alcaraz sealed a spot at the Nitto ATP Finals in September after enjoying another great season on the circuit. The No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings lifted Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, in addition to the hard courts of Indian Wells and Beijing.

Always looking to improve, the Spaniard assessed his 2024 before the season-ending tournament.

“It is impossible to rate it with a 10, because you can always improve, but it was an incredible year,” said Alcaraz. “I would say eight and a half or nine. It could have been better with the gold medal or other tournaments, but I would say an 8.5”.

“I learned a lot this year. I know myself more as a person and player, what I need to do, on and off the court. Some losses this year were painful. Not only a goal on the court, but also what you have to do on your off days, how many days to take before tournaments, before starting to prepare as best as possible.”

Alcaraz arrived in Turin at the beginning of the week to prepare his performance, which begins on Monday afternoon in front of Casper Ruud at the Inalpi Arena. The former champion of the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF is included in the John Newcombe Group along with Alexander Zverev, Ruud and Andrey Rublev.

Alcaraz evens his Lexus ATP Head2Head with Zverev at 5-5, after winning two of three matches this year. The Spaniard knows it will be a battle when he takes on the two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion, who claimed his seventh ATP Masters 1000 crown last week in Paris.

“He is one of the toughest players in the world, of course,” Alcaraz said of Zverev. “I think he remains pretty good, but he has a great serve and plays incredible from the baseline, which makes him a very tough opponent to face.”

“He has won more than 20 ATP titles, many Masters. He wants a Grand Slam and I have told him that he is going to get it for sure. At the end of his career he will get at least one, we’ll see if more. He deserves it. He is a great worker. He has won great titles. I don’t like facing him because of his serves and his shots, but I’m going to try to find the beautiful part of playing with him.”