Alcaraz suffered a comeback defeat at the ATP Finals.

In his first appearance at the ATP Finals, Carlos Alcaraz lost to Alexander Zverev 7-6(3), 3-6, 4-6 in the Red Group on November 13.

Alcaraz's inconsistent form during the final stages of the year's indoor hard court season continued in his opening match at the tournament for the eight best players of the year. He won the first set against Zverev, but unforced errors and a lack of confidence in holding his serve led to the Spaniard losing after just over two and a half hours.

Alcaraz (right) easily defeated Zverev at the 2023 US Open, but lost to the German opponent at the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy on November 13. Photo: ATP — Alcaraz (right) easily defeated Zverev at the 2023 US Open, but lost to the German opponent at the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy on November 13. Photo: *ATP*

The first set saw Alcaraz make a comeback after being down 1-3. He then saved four break points when the score was 3-3 to take the lead. Towards the end of the set, the 20-year-old had two set points, but Zverev saved both. The German player served an ace with a speed of 217 km/h before saving the remaining set point with a good first serve.

In the tie-break, Zverev's serve was inconsistent, allowing Alcaraz to take a 5-2, then 6-3 lead. On the third set point, Alcaraz seized the opportunity, forcing his opponent into a net error.

The match could have ended quickly if Zverev hadn't once again come out of danger thanks to his serve at the start of the second set. After saving a break point in the first game of the set, the 26-year-old won the next service game and took a 3-0 lead. From then until the end of the match, Alcaraz didn't win another service game against his opponent.

Zverev's 90% first-serve winning percentage helped him finish the second set quickly, before winning another service game in the third. When saving a break point, Alcaraz served to the net, then let the ball go when his opponent returned the serve in the court. It wasn't until the final game that the 20-year-old had a chance to equalize, but Zverev hit an ace and ended his younger opponent's hopes.

Zverev caused concern among fans when he sprained his ankle while trying to save a ball in the third set. Despite the brief moment of pain, he got up and continued playing, eventually winning the match. Last year, he had to abandon the season due to a serious ankle sprain during his semi-final match against Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros.

Alcaraz's chances of winning his seventh title of the season, and his first since Wimbledon, have narrowed after his third consecutive defeat. The Spaniard was previously eliminated by Grigor Dimitrov at the Shanghai Masters and then lost his opening match at the Paris Masters to Roman Safiullin. He is currently one of the two bottom positions in the ATP Finals Red Group, alongside Andrey Rublev, who lost to Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 2-6 in the first round.

Vy Anh

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