Carlos Alcaraz was eliminated from the ATP Finals after losing to Alexander Zverev. That defeat also confirmed the Spaniard would end the year ranked No. 3.
Alcaraz started the season-ending tournament ranked below Zverev. The German overtook the Spaniard after winning the Paris Masters in Bercy, defeating home favorite Ugo Humbert in the final.
Despite that achievement, Zverev stated Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were still ahead of him because they won all four Grand Slams in 2024. That includes Alcaraz beating the 27-year-old in this year's French Open final.
Alcaraz's other major triumph was at Wimbledon. He defeated Novak Djokovic in the final at SW19 for the second consecutive year to seal his fourth Grand Slam title despite still being just 21 years old.
Sinner won his maiden Grand Slam titles at the Australian and US Opens. The Italian also claimed three Masters 1000 events in 2024, helping him to become the fastest man to seal the year-end No. 1 ranking since Djokovic in 2015.
Although Zverev ranks Sinner and Alcaraz ahead of himself because of their Grand Slam triumphs, he still entered the ATP Finals in pole position to seal the year-end No. 2 ranking ahead of the Spaniard.
Zverev increased his chances further by beating Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud in the round-robin stage of the ATP Finals. By contrast, after an underwhelming performance, Alcaraz lost against Ruud in straight sets.
In Alcaraz's defense, he has been impacted by an illness throughout the ATP Finals. That led to him only being able to practice for ten minutes the day before his match against Rublev, and he also struggled physically against the Russian, despite winning that contest.
The 21-year-old fought hard against Zverev at the ATP Finals but lost 6-7, 4-6. Alcaraz's effort was impressive, considering he is unwell, but he needed his best tennis to beat the two-time Grand Slam runner-up.
That loss also eliminated Alcaraz from the ATP Finals. Zverev won the group with three victories, and Casper Ruud qualifies in second place below him. Alcaraz's wait for a first ATP Finals title has extended by at least another year.
Being eliminated from the event in Turin also confirmed he will end 2024 at No. 3 in the rankings behind Zverev, who could extend his points lead over him further by winning the ATP Finals.
Alcaraz began the ATP Finals on 6,810 points, 505 behind Zverev's 7,315. Since 200 points are awarded for each round-robin victory, Zverev is now on 7,915 points compared to his rival's 7,010.
The two-time Wimbledon champion would have still been 505 points behind Zverev if he had beaten the German in their last round-robin match and qualified for the semifinal, but his hopes of overtaking him are now officially over.
Some fans might find it strange that Zverev is higher in the rankings despite Alcaraz winning two Grand Slams in 2024. However, the 27-year-old was rewarded for a consistent season, including securing two Masters 1000 titles and reaching the final of the French Open.