Carlos Alcaraz has arrived in Turin ahead of the ATP Finals and he has two huge goals in his sights, with a first win at the end-of-season finals and the battle to beat Jannik Sinner to the world No 1 ranking in his sights.
Alcaraz appeared to have a clear path to claim the year-end No 1 ranking after he beat Sinner in the US Open final in September, but the Italian has snapped back into contention after winning the titles in Vienna and at the ATP 1000 event in Paris last week.
Now Alcaraz has one last chance to seal the world No 1 ranking and a run to the latter stages of the ATP Finals in Turin should be enough to secure that ambition.
In an engaging press conference ahead of his opening match in Turin, Alcaraz has opened up on what his big targets are for the final week of the season and it is clear that he is not only focused on that No 1 ranking.
“They are two big goals,” he said, referencing the No 1 ranking and the ATP Finals title. “I would love to win the tournament someday, and the No 1 title has been a clear objective throughout the season.
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“In the end, I think it’s turning out to be a good battle between Jannik and me to see who finishes as No 1.
“If he finishes first, it’s because he’s earned it and has had a magnificent end to the season. He won in Vienna, he’s coming off a win in Paris, and if he finishes number one, it’s because he would win here and he deserves it.
“I am going to try to fight to prevent that from happening. If it does happen, it wouldn’t be a disappointment.
“The season has gone incredibly well. The downside is that it’s not over yet, so it’s difficult to think about next year’s goals with these two important tournaments just around the corner. Before preseason, we’ll sit down and see what we can improve.”
Alcaraz and Sinner cannot meet in Turin until the semi-finals at the earliest, but they could avoid a meeting until the final if they win their groups.
When asked whether avoiding a clash with Sinner before the final was a target, Alcaraz insisted he was not thinking about that.
“It’s a bit early to think about that,” he added. “For me, if you want to win the tournament, you have to beat the best. And if I want to win, I’ll have to beat Jannik in the semifinals or the final, or another top player in the semifinals or the final. So I don’t mind.
“The important thing here is to advance, and if it’s by one player, all the better. And if it’s by two, we’ll have to assess the situation and give our best against whoever we face in those semifinals.”
The post Carlos Alcaraz asked if he would prefer to win ATP Finals or beat Jannik Sinner to world No 1 ranking appeared first on Tennis365.
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