Match Report
Alcaraz outlasts Fritz in three-set thriller at Nitto ATP Finals
Top seed is 2-0 in Jimmy Connors Group, can qualify on Tuesday if De Minaur beats Musetti
November 11, 2025
Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Carlos Alcaraz is chasing his first Nitto ATP Finals crown.
By Jerome Coombe
Carlos Alcaraz stayed firmly on course for his maiden Nitto ATP Finals crown on Tuesday, when he rallied past Taylor Fritz in a pulsating two-hour, 48-minute clash.
In front of a packed crowd inside Inalpi Arena, the top-seeded Spaniard produced a stirring comeback to prevail 6-7(2), 7-5, 6-3 and remain unbeaten at 2-0 in the Jimmy Connors Group. Last year’s runner-up Fritz looked poised to claim his second indoor win over Alcaraz in 2025, but the 22-year-old turned the tide with a blend of resilience and shotmaking brilliance — highlighted by a marathon 14-minute service hold in the second set.
Carlitos Comes Through! 💪@carlosalcaraz | #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/8t2Rm3317B
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 11, 2025
“It was pretty tight, I was struggling more than him in the first set,” said Alcaraz, who let slip a break lead in the opener. “I wasn’t serving well, and I think he was pretty comfortable from the baseline, from everywhere…
“I was really relieved after the win because of everything I went through during the match. I wasn’t feeling the ball as well as I was in the first round, but I’m really happy that I found a way to come back and find weakness from him.”
Alcaraz can now qualify for the semi-finals if Alex de Minaur defeats debutant Lorenzo Musetti later on Tuesday. He has also moved to within 50 points of securing ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours over rival Jannik Sinner, needing just a win in his final round-robin match against Musetti on Thursday to achieve that feat.
“I will try not to think about it,” Alcaraz said with a smile when he was told he needs one more win to secure Year-End No. 1. “It’s going to be a really big match for me. I will try not to let the nerves play a bad time in the match. I will think about my goals, about feeling much better than today.”
The highlight of the match came early in the second set, when Alcaraz — facing break point at 2-2 — conjured a bit of magic to escape a losing rally before charging the net for a crisp volley winner. That effort was one of many in a marathon 14-minute service hold and proved to spark a momentum shift.
Having saved both break points he faced in the second set, Alcaraz then benefitted from a slice of luck in the decisive 12th game. A shovelled backhand return at 0/15 clipped the net cord, wrong-footing Fritz and opening the door for Alcaraz, who converted his second set point before taking firm control of the decider en route to improving to 5-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
