Alcaraz overtakes Sinner for season-ending No. 1

Carlos Alcaraz secured the year-ending No. 1 ranking in men’s tennis on Thursday by beating Lorenzo Musetti to sweep his group at the ATP Finals.

Alcaraz needed to win one more match to beat Jannik Sinner to the No. 1 spot and the Spaniard duly did so as he eased to a 6-4, 6-1 victory.

It is the second time in his career that Alcaraz has ended the year at the top of the rankings.

The Spaniard became the youngest player to finish a year at No. 1 when he achieved the feat as a 19-year-old in 2022.

Alcaraz didn’t give him that chance as he swept aside Musetti in less than 90 minutes, sealing the result on his third match point.

That was his third win in the Jimmy Connors group.

Alcaraz’s victory also secured a spot in the semifinals for Alex de Minaur, who beat Taylor Fritz 7-6 (3), 6-3 earlier Thursday for his first victory in six matches at the season-ending event.

«I finally won here in Torino,» De Minaur said.

The seventh-seeded De Minaur needed a straight sets win to stay in contention for a semifinal spot, which he secured once Alcaraz beat Musetti in the late match.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.