Carlos Alcaraz never played at the ATP Finals, but he's got compatriot Rafael Nadal cheering for him ahead of his debut.
The Spaniard arrives in Turin with a lot of question marks. It's not just about his tennis, which has been below his top-level lately, but also his fitness, as he didn't play at all during this late part of the indoor season.
He's healthy enough for the ATP Finals, but we've seen him make similar claims about that before. It's not the first time in Turin for him because the Spaniard was there last year.
He received the year-end No. 1 trophy, but he didn't play as he was injured. This year, he's set to play as he's in Turin already practicing every day.
Ahead of his ATP Finals debut, Alcaraz received some encouraging words from compatriot Rafael Nadal, who commented on a video by the ATP featuring Alcaraz. Nadal wished Alcaraz good luck in Turin as the sole Spaniard at the event, something Nadal was last year.
Big hug and good luck in Turin.
It's going to be a really interesting ATP Finals event because we have several players who are playing really well and a good mix of young and veteran players who are all hungry for success.
Alcaraz will certainly like to leave a good impression at his first ATP Finals. It's going to be very tough because he didn't get an easy group, but there are no easy groups at events like these.
We'll see how his body holds up and whether his tennis looks any better than it did in recent weeks. Finishing the year off on a high note will be crucial for him.
The chances of him finishing the year as world number one are basically gone as Djokovic needs only one win to secure it, but there is plenty to play for.
0 Comments