The first major upset of the ATP Finals has arrived with Casper Ruud toppling Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets.
Casper Ruud stunned Carlos Alcaraz with a 6-1, 7-5 win at the ATP Finals in Turin, delivering an early upset in the prestigious season-ending event.
Ruud, a finalist in 2022, took advantage of a subpar performance from the third-seeded Spaniard to wrap up the match in just 86 minutes.
The world number seven surged through the first set, winning five games in a row from 1-1.
After striking 15 unforced errors in the opener, Alcaraz found some rhythm in the second set and looked poised to force a decider with a 5-2 lead.
However, inconsistency once again plagued the Spaniard, allowing the Norwegian to reel off another streak of five consecutive games to notch up his 50th tour-level victory of the season and first career-victory over Alcaraz.
Casper Ruud acknowledges struggling Carlos Alcaraz
A prolific year that’s seen the 21-year-old double his Grand Slam tally to four may understandably have taken the wind out his sails as the season comes to its conclusion.
Alcaraz was undone in Paris last week by Frenchman Ugo Humbert in an entertaining fourth round clash.
After the first set whizzed by and Alcaraz had produced an uncharacteristic amount of mistakes, it became clear he was slightly out of sorts.
The Spaniard was seen throughout the match blowing his nose, indicating he was physically not at his peak.
Ruud acknowledged what looks to be an illness-struck week for Alcaraz after the match on Sky Sports.
“It can be a bit tricky,” said Ruud, when asked about playing when an opponent is not 100%. “I kind of knew he was maybe dealing with a bit of a cold. I have seen him snuffling around in the area here and always having a tissue for his nose. That’s a sign that physically he won’t be at 100,” he said.
“Of course, that’s sad and not good for him but it’s also part of the game,” he explained. “I knew it coming in and I tried to make him play rallies but it’s also not easy because when you know that someone is not 100% you can get stressed yourself and think it’s a good chance to win.
“I just tried to stay in my world and luckily got a good start with a break and kept it and then the second set I was able to turn it around with good tennis at the end.”
Casper Ruud will be demanding a strong end to the season after a recent lull
Ruud will be eager to finish the season on a high note after breaking a recent four-match losing streak.
His year began with promise, capturing the title in Barcelona and advancing to the French Open semi-finals, but his form has dipped significantly in recent months.
Questions have often arisen regarding his level on hard-courts, where his performance has been notably more inconsistent than on his preferred surface, clay.
Having dubbed Ruud as one of the ATP Finals’ ‘losers’ after the draw was announced, the Norwegian has promptly forced me to eat my words.
The former world number two will now face a significant test, meeting either two-time ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev or Russia’s fierce Andrey Rublev in his next match on Wednesday.
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