Spanish tennis great Alex Corretja has assessed Carlos Alcaraz’s hopes of winning the 2025 ATP Finals as he also discussed his compatriot’s rivalry with Jannik Sinner.
Alcaraz is chasing his maiden ATP Finals crown at the 2025 edition of the prestigious season-ending championships in Turin.
The world No 1 defeated Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz and Lorenzo Musetti to top the Jimmy Connors Group with a perfect 3-0 record, and he will face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semi-finals.
Alex Corretja gives his verdict on Carlos Alcaraz’s ATP Finals title bid
- Alex Corretja said that Carlos Alcaraz arrived at the 2024 ATP Finals “with nothing left in the tank”, but he feels there is a “huge difference” this year
- The two-time French Open runner-up thinks Alcaraz “has a better chance” of winning the ATP Finals than ever before as he is “fresher” and in “better shape”
- Corretja compared the “healthy” rivalry between Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner to the rivalry between tennis icons Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer
Alcaraz’s 6-4, 6-1 victory against Musetti in his third round robin match ensured that he will end the year as the world No 1 ahead of Sinner.
The Spaniard could face Sinner — the defending champion and world No 2 — in the final in Turin.
Alcaraz is making his third ATP Finals appearance, having reached the semi-finals on his debut in 2023 and exited at the round robin stage in 2024.
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Speaking on El Larguero on the Cadena SER radio station, Corretja highlighted the difference between Alcaraz at this year’s ATP Finals compared to previous editions.
“There’s a huge difference, in capital letters. It’s a matter of learning at every moment,” said Corretja, who won the 1998 ATP Finals (translated from Spanish).
“This year, he finishes in Tokyo and doesn’t go to Shanghai, arriving in Paris without rhythm. But this investment of time means he’s in better shape at the end of the year.
“Carlos has played 16 tournaments this year, and Sinner has played 11 because he was suspended for three months. Alcaraz needs to compete during those weeks to bring out his most explosive and competitive tennis.
“It’s not just sixteen weeks; it’s practically half the year competing. I think that’s why he’s fresher, in better shape, and therefore has a better chance of winning the tournament, whereas last year he arrived with nothing left in the tank.”
What Alex Corretja said about the Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner rivalry
Corretja, a former world No 2, also shared his thoughts on the rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner.
“What I like most about all this is the healthy rivalry that Jannik and Carlos have created,” said the Spaniard.
“We saw it with Roger [Federer] and Rafa [Nadal] when they were already at the end of their careers, but being so young, for them to be fighting for number one until the end of the year and to take it with such simplicity, is great news for the world of tennis.”
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