TURIN, Italy (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz, a major contender, was the notable absentee as the final two semifinal spots were claimed at the ATP Finals on Friday.
Alcaraz, who had been battling illness throughout the week, was knocked out of the tournament after losing 7-6 (5), 6-4 to Alexander Zverev. The French Open and Wimbledon champion’s defeat meant he would not advance to the semifinals.
In Saturday’s semifinals, Zverev will face Taylor Fritz, while top-ranked Jannik Sinner will meet Casper Ruud.
“My goal,” Alcaraz said, “is to be consistently reaching the end of tournaments. I want to make it to the semifinals or finals in every tournament I play. I know I need to work hard, but I hope that in 2025, I’ll be a more consistent player.”
Ruud secured his spot in the semifinals by defeating Andrey Rublev 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.
Zverev completed his round-robin group with a perfect 3-0 record, while Ruud tallied two wins, Alcaraz had one, and Rublev ended with none.
In his loss, Alcaraz showed flashes of brilliance, particularly in the final game. However, he lost a crucial point after failing to fully reach a passing shot from Zverev and ended up sprawling on the court.
“He really transforms in the big moments,” Zverev said. “That last game was definitely the highlight of the match.”
Sinner, who topped the other group, advanced ahead of Fritz.
Alcaraz, who had worn a pink nose strip after struggling with breathing issues in his opening loss to Ruud, had hoped to recover in time, but his defeat sealed his exit from the tournament.
Zverev, who leapfrogged Alcaraz to No. 2 in the rankings, now leads their head-to-head 6-5. It was also a measure of revenge for Zverev, who had been defeated by Alcaraz in the French Open final earlier this year.
With his sights set on bigger prizes, Zverev expressed his ambitions for the future: “It’s no secret, I’m chasing that Grand Slam title and aiming for No. 1. If it’s not at Roland Garros, I’ll take it at the Australian Open.”
Meanwhile, Alcaraz has already turned his attention to next week’s Davis Cup finals in Malaga, where he will represent Spain in Rafael Nadal’s final professional event.
“I really want him to retire with a title,” Alcaraz said. “It’s going to be a very emotional and special tournament for me.”
Ruud, who struggled with early exits in six of his last seven tournaments, is now into the semifinals for the third time in as many appearances at the ATP Finals.
“Sometimes tennis surprises you,” Ruud said. “I’m not sure what I’m doing better this week compared to the others, but I know my serving has been strong, so I’ll try to keep that going tomorrow. I’m going to need it.”
