Carlos Alcaraz opened his 2025 ATP Finals campaign in Turin with a decisive straight-sets victory, defeating Australia’s Alex de Minaur 7-6(5), 6-2 in his first round-robin match. The top-seeded Spaniard was pushed in a tight first set, where he found himself 3-5 down in the tie-break, but he demonstrated his trademark resilience by winning the next four points to clinch the set. But his performance wasn’t the only thing Alcaraz delighted his fans with that night.

After securing the opener, Alcaraz raised his level in the second set, breaking De Minaur’s serve multiple times to seal the win in one hour and forty minutes and take a confident first step in his quest for the season-ending title. The tournament atmosphere was about more than just tennis, as the ATP Finals partnered with the charity UGI ODV to host young oncology patients from the nearby Regina Margherita Hospital.

In a heartwarming initiative, these children were given the honor of walking onto the court alongside the players before their matches. For his opening match, Alcaraz was paired with a seven-year-old girl named Eva Nicole. The moment was captured and shared by @alcarazzupdates on X, which reported a touching admission from the young girl. When she was later asked how tall the tennis star seemed to her, Eva Nicole simply replied, “Like dad.”

This innocent comparison provided a poignant glimpse into the personal impact of these charitable gestures, transcending the sport and offering a moment of normalcy and inspiration for the children involved.

As for the victory, it was a crucial one for Alcaraz, who has previously struggled in his opening matches at the season finale and was knocked out just days before in Paris by Cameron Norrie in the very first round. However, the Spaniard has is aware and working on his indoor court struggles.

Carlos Alcaraz admits his weakness in tennis

When the 2025 ATP Finals started, Carlos Alcaraz was open about the discomfort he was still experiencing. The 22-year-old has faced defeat 14 times on indoor hard courts, including the aforementioned indoor loss to Norrie. He’s only managed to snag one title on this surface, and that was earlier this year at the Rotterdam Open.

So, after kicking things off with a win at the ATP Finals, Alcaraz shared his thoughts on why playing indoors can be tough. He said, “Well, I’m Spanish, I’m from Murcia, where it’s sunny almost 365 days per year. Playing indoors for me is kinda weird, as I’m just not used to it, but I’m getting used to it.”

Furthermore , he added, “The people are louder and the energy is even more, which is great. 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.”

But you know, Alcaraz’s journey to indoor success hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park. Andy Roddick, the American legend, hypothesized that the winter darkness might be influencing Alcaraz’s unusual performance during October and November. He noted how Alcaraz really feeds off the crowd’s energy and how much he enjoys playing in front of a full outdoor arena. But with the clock ticking, we’ll just have to wait and see how he does in Turin.