The tougher the battle, the sweeter the win. Carlos Alcaraz can surely attest to that. After taking down Alex de Minaur in his opening match, the Spaniard collected his second round-robin victory at the ATP Finals with a gritty win over Taylor Fritz on Tuesday. The American refused to give an inch. Fritz snatched the first set 7-6(2), but Alcaraz hit back, breaking the World No. 10 in the second. It was tight all the way through, and even Alcaraz admitted he felt the tension for a moment.

Speaking after the match, Alcaraz broke down his performance against Fritz. “I was running more than him, I was struggling more than him,” he said. “After the first set, then it was a break up, and the next time I didn’t play well. I think in the first set I didn’t serve well, and I think he was playing really, really comfortably from the baseline with everything.”

True to Carlos’s word, Taylor Fritz gave it his best shot. He started strong, fending off two break points in the opening game with three aces and taking the first set in a tiebreak after 70 minutes. Both players traded breaks early, with neither able to consolidate, before Fritz seized control of the breaker to go one set up.

A high-quality opening stretch saw both players pushed through long, tense service games, setting the tone for what would be a grueling two-hour and 53-minute contest. Fritz, who had also won his opening group match against Lorenzo Musetti, kept applying pressure with a 75% first-serve rate and steady baseline play, while Alcaraz worked hard to match the American’s intensity.

While the second set started off rocky, Carlos Alcaraz dug deep during a marathon 21-minute service game, saving two break points and celebrating the hold as if it were the match itself. From there, even though Fritz saved break points to stay level at 4-4, two unforced errors in the 12th game handed Alcaraz the second set.

That turning point came after a dramatic 14-minute fifth game, where Alcaraz survived multiple deuces before holding for 3-2 and firing up the Turin crowd by pointing to his ear. Fritz, who had won their previous indoor meeting at the Laver Cup, continued to push, but a costly double fault in the final game of the set opened the door for Alcaraz to level the match.

The Spaniard then broke in the sixth game of the decider and never looked back, closing out the match to love after two hours and 53 minutes. He sealed victory in style with a spectacular overhead backhand drop shot to reach match point, before serving it out flawlessly.

As he summed it up, “So it was a real relief after the win because of everything that I went through during the match. Physically, I didn’t feel the ball as well as in the first round. But I’m really happy that I found a way to come back, to find the weaknesses in him, and I’m really happy that I got the win at the end.”

He later added that the relief stemmed from both the physical battle and the stakes involved, with this victory moving him within one win of securing the year-end World No. 1 ranking ahead of Jannik Sinner. “I try not to think about it,” he said, looking ahead to his final group match against Lorenzo Musetti. “It’s going to be a really big match for me, and I will try not to let nerves give me a bad time.”

It really was quite a comeback, especially since indoor hard courts aren’t exactly Alcaraz’s preferred surface. The 22-year-old might be known as an all-court player, with major titles across every surface (clay, grass, and hardcourt), but indoors have never been too kind to him. He’s lost 14 matches on indoor hard courts, holding a modest 68.9% win rate, and his lone title on this surface came earlier this year in Rotterdam. Still, the Inalpi Arena courts in Turin have brought out his adaptability, showing how quickly he’s learning to handle faster indoor conditions that once troubled him.

But his most recent exit also came on an indoor court at the Paris Masters. He has adapted well to the courts of the Inalpi Arena in Turin. Not to mention, he knows why he’s not too keen on the indoor hardcourt surface.

Carlos Alcaraz shares why he struggles under the roof

Alcaraz kicked off his ATP Finals campaign with purpose, taking down Alex de Minaur 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 on Sunday in just an hour and 40 minutes. The straight-set win over the Aussie not only showcased his confidence indoors but also revealed a hint of humor afterward. “Well, I’m Spanish, I’m from Murcia, where it’s sunny almost 365 days per year,” he said in an interview with Sky Sports. “Playing indoors for me is kinda weird, as I’m just not used to it, but I’m getting used to it.”

Sunday’s result also came with a milestone. As the Spaniard equalled Jannik Sinner’s record of 14 wins over Top 10 opponents this season, and notched his 68th victory of the year. It’s been an outstanding ride for the 22-year-old, filled with highs and a few dips, but the numbers speak for themselves: eight titles, two of them Grand Slams, already in the bag. Now, he’s eyeing a ninth trophy to close out 2025 in style.

Talking about the indoor experience, Alcaraz admitted there’s a different kind of vibe. “The people are louder and the energy is even more, which is great,” he said. “You can play with the lights in some situations, and it looks cool with the walk-ons and during the matches. It’s great, but I just have to get used to it.” That adaptation might just be what separates him from the rest this week in Turin.

This is Alcaraz’s third shot at the season-ending showpiece, though the big stage hasn’t always been kind to him. He withdrew with an injury in 2022, reached the semi-finals on debut the following year, and fell short of the group stage last season. Now, with Sinner reclaiming the No. 1 ranking after his Paris Masters triumph, the rivalry adds an extra spark.

So even if indoor courts aren’t his comfort zone, chasing that ninth title might be motivation enough for Alcaraz to push all the way to his first ATP Finals crown. What do you think?