Carlos Alcaraz Secures Year-End No. 1 ATP Ranking

Carlos Alcaraz has clinched the ATP Year-End No. 1 ranking for the second time.

He also finished No. 1 in 2022.

The Spanish star secured the honor via a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Lorenzo Musetti in the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy.

Even if world No. 2 Jannik Sinner wins the tournament, he will not surpass Alcaraz for the Year-End No. 1.

“It means the world to me, to be honest. The year-end No. 1 is always a goal,” Alcaraz said. “At the beginning of the year, I saw the No. 1 really, really far away [with] Jannik winning almost every tournament he plays. But from the middle of the season ’til now, I [gave myself] the goal for [earning] the No. 1 because I thought it was there. I had the chance to play great tennis in a lot of tournaments in a row to put myself in with a chance to be close to Jannik for the No. 1.

“Then in the last three, four tournaments of the year, [I was] fighting toe to toe with Jannik for this spot and then finally I got it. For me, it means everything.”

ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said: “Ending the season as the No. 1 player in the world is an incredible achievement—one that only 19 players have accomplished in more than 50 years of history. To do it twice by the age of 22 makes it even more special. It speaks not only to Carlos’ exceptional talent, but to his relentless drive to improve and his determination to compete against the very best. He should be immensely proud of what he’s achieved, and we look forward to watching him continue to inspire fans around the world.”

Alcaraz now leads Musetti 7-1 in their ATP Head2Head series.

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“Today I played with a lot of nerves…The No. 1, it was on my mind,” Alcaraz confessed. "But I think it was a really good match for both of us, him to qualify for the semis, me to end the year as No. 1, so I think I couldn’t play as relaxed as I wanted but overall I think handled as best I could."

“Hopefully in the semifinal I raise my level a little bit, but I’m excited to do it.”

The Spaniard will face either Alexander Zverev or Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semifinals, while Sinner meets Alex de Minaur.

Alcaraz won the French Open and U.S. Open this year, while Sinner won the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

The duo have combined to win the last eight major titles.

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