Carlos Alcaraz acknowledged critical errors in his match against Alexander Zverev, particularly during the first-set tiebreak, which significantly impacted the outcome. The close contest at the Nitto ATP Finals tipped Zverev’s way, giving him a 6-5 edge in their Lexus ATP Head2Head record. With this defeat likely ending Alcaraz’s Turin campaign, the Spaniard has shifted his focus to the Davis Cup Final 8, where he will join Rafael Nadal to represent Spain.
“The tiebreak was very tight, with many points I could have played better,” Alcaraz admitted.
“At 6/5, I don’t know what I was thinking when I tried to volley that ball. Losing the set like that hurts.” He noted that the second set began poorly, finding himself at 0/40 after what he described as “stupid points.” Despite fighting back, Zverev proved too strong on the day.
Reflecting on his week in Turin, Alcaraz called it a “privilege” to compete among the top eight players.
“I’m going to learn from what has happened. I played good tennis, but today I faced one of the best. I’m disappointed with the defeat,” he said, emphasizing the need to improve his mental and physical freshness in the latter stages of the season.
Alcaraz also outlined his goals for future year-end tournaments. “One of my aims is to feel fresher during this part of the year. I was better than last year, but still not good enough,” he said.
“It’s impossible to feel completely fresh, but good players deliver even when mentally tired. Practicing with purpose daily and relying on my team’s guidance will help me prepare better for these moments.”
Many have been saying that Alcaraz’s desire to finish points in “electric” fashion and sometimes go for unnecessary “hot shots,” rather than keeping it simple, will cost him.
This set point is a great example, and clearly, Alcaraz was aware it was a bad decision.
But at the… pic.twitter.com/cn5WR7cs6x
— Tennis Masterr (@tennismasterr) November 15, 2024
The young Spaniard’s focus now turns to the Davis Cup, where he hopes to regain momentum and contribute to Spain’s success alongside Nadal.
Carlos Alcaraz in 2024
LWLLWLWWWW Currently the world no.3, Carlos played his last match on the 15th of November when he was defeated by world no.2 Alexander Zverev 7-6(5) 6-4 in the round robin in the Nitto ATP Finals (draw).
Presently, during this year Carlos has managed to achieve a composed 53-13 match record. Alcaraz conquered 4 titles in 2024 in Indian Wells, French Open, Wimbledon and Beijing. Alcaraz got to the final in Paris.
Carlos Alcaraz will fight against the world no.365 Gabi Adrian Boitan in the . In the past, they have never played each other so far in top competitions.
Carlos conquered 4 titles in 2024 in Indian Wells, French Open, Wimbledon and Beijing. The Spaniard got to the final in Paris (Olympics).
Alcaraz won 17 titles in his career: 5 on hard courts, 8 on clay courts, 1 on indoor courts and 3 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Alexander Zverev in 2024
LWWWWWWWWL At the moment ranked no.2 (career-high), the German played his last match on the 16th of November when he lost to world no.5 Taylor Fritz 6-3 3-6 7-6(3) in the semifinal in the Nitto ATP Finals (draw).
Presently, during this year Alexander has achieved a composed 69-21 record. The German clinched 3 titles in 2024 in Australia, Rome and Paris. Alexander reached the final at the French Open and Hamburg.
Alexander Zverev will come up against the world no.29 Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Round Robin on Sunday at 2:00 pm on CENTER COURT. Their current head to head is 6-2 for Zverev.
Zverev has won 3 titles in 2024 in Australia, Rome and Paris. Zverev reached the final at the French Open and in Hamburg (Hamburg Open).
Alexander won 24 titles in his career: 8 on hard courts, 8 on clay courts and 8 on indoor courts. (See the list of his titles)
Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev squared off 13 times. Their current record is 8-5 for Zverev. Before, the last time they locked horns, Alexander Zverev won 7-6(5) 6-4 in the round robin in Turin (Nitto ATP Finals) on the 15th of November 2024.
You can see them in action in the following highlights.
Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev |
| Embed from Getty Images |
Carlos Alcaraz in 2024
LWLLWLWWWW Currently the world no.3, the Spaniard played his last match on the 15th of November when he lost to world no.2 Alexander Zverev 7-6(5) 6-4 in the round robin in the Nitto ATP Finals (draw).
This season Carlos has managed to achieve a composed 53-13 match record. Alcaraz conquered 4 titles in 2024 in Indian Wells, French Open, Wimbledon and Beijing. Carlos got to the final in Paris.
Carlos Alcaraz will square off with the world no.365 Gabi Adrian Boitan in the . They have never played each other up to now on the main tour.
Alcaraz has won 4 titles in 2024 in Indian Wells, French Open, Wimbledon and Beijing. Alcaraz got to the final in Paris (Olympics).
The Spaniard won 17 titles in his career: 5 on hard courts, 8 on clay courts, 1 on indoor courts and 3 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Alexander Zverev in 2024
LWWWWWWWWL Currently ranked no.2 (career-high), Zverev played his last match on the 16th of November when he surrendered to world no.5 Taylor Fritz 6-3 3-6 7-6(3) in the semifinal in the Nitto ATP Finals (draw).
At the moment, during this season Zverev has achieved a compiled 69-21 match record. The German conquered 3 titles in 2024 in Australia, Rome and Paris. Alexander reached the final at the French Open and Hamburg.
Alexander Zverev will square off with the world no.29 Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Round Robin on Sunday at 2:00 pm on CENTER COURT. Their current head to head is 6-2 for Zverev.
Zverev conquered 3 titles in 2024 in Australia, Rome and Paris. Zverev got to the final at the French Open and in Hamburg (Hamburg Open).
The German won 24 titles in his career: 8 on hard courts, 8 on clay courts and 8 on indoor courts. (See the list of his titles)
Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev faced off 13 times. Their head to head is 8-5 for Zverev. Previously, the last time they locked horns, Alexander Zverev won 7-6(5) 6-4 in the round robin in Turin (Nitto ATP Finals) on the 15th of November 2024.
You can see them in action in the following highlights.
Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev |
| Embed from Getty Images |
