He was the last Spanish player to win the ATP Finals and did so before Rafael Nadal even made his debut

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Carlos Alcaraz will be looking to end Spain’s 27-year wait for an ATP Finals champion in 2025.

The world number two has failed to pick up the title in either of his two previous appearances at the tour finals, losing in the 2023 semifinals and in the group stage a year ago.

Unfortunately for Alcaraz, it seems like he’s followed in the footsteps of his countryman, Rafael Nadal, who often struggled at the ATP Finals.

Despite winning 22 majors, Nadal never managed to get his hands on the ATP Finals title in 11 attempts.

In fact, you’d have to go back to before Nadal even made his ATP Tour debut to find a Spanish champion at the year-end finals.

Alex Corretja was the last Spanish player to win the ATP Finals

Alex Corretja enjoyed the best season of his career in 1998, reaching his first major final at the French Open.

There, he fell short against his countryman Carlos Moya in straight sets, but was determined not to finish the year empty-handed.

Winning titles in Dubai, Gstaad, Indianapolis, and Lyon, Corretja qualified for the ATP Finals for the first time in his career.

Placed in the ‘White Group’, Corretja finished second behind Tim Henman (Lost to Henman in GS) to qualify for the semifinals.

1998 ATP Finals ‘White Group’

Making his way through to the semifinals, Corretja met the number-one seed and two-time defending champion, Pete Sampras.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, Sampras took the first set, moving himself to within touching distance of a third-straight ATP Finals final.

Corretja wasn’t prepared to go down without a fight, however, and took the second 6-3 to force a decider in Hannover.

There wasn’t much separating the pair in the third set, until Corretja found another gear in the tiebreaker, winning 7-6 [7-3] to book his place in the final.

Standing between Corretja and the title was Moya, the man who beat him in the Roland Garros final earlier in the year.

Looking for revenge, Corretja didn’t get off to the best of starts, falling two sets down to his fellow Spaniard, 3-6, 3-6.

Battling back, Corretja won the third and fourth sets 7-5, 6-3, to take the 1998 final all the way.

Edging the decider, 7-5, Corretja became the second Spaniard to win the ATP Finals (First – Manuel Orantes, 1976).

No Spaniard has been able to lift the trophy since, although that’s not to say they haven’t come close…

Spain’s near misses at the ATP Finals since Alex Corretja’s 1998 triumph

On four occasions since 1998, a Spanish player has finished as runner-up at the year-end finals.

• 2002 – Juan Carlos Ferrero lost to Lleyton Hewitt
• 2007 – David Ferrer lost to Roger Federer
• 2010 – Rafael Nadal lost to Roger Federer
• 2013 – Rafael Nadal lost to Novak Djokovic

Despite reaching two finals, it arguably wasn’t Nadal who came closest, as Juan Carlos Ferrero pushed Lleyton Hewitt to a fifth and deciding set just four years after Corretja’s win in Hannover.

Just like Corretja, Ferrero fell behind by two sets to love before fighting back to level things up.

He couldn’t complete the job, however, losing a deciding set to the Australian 4-6, in Sydney.

Perhaps Ferrero can use the experience of his defeat in 2002 to guide his pupil, Alcaraz, to glory in 2025.

The Spaniard has qualified for the tour finals with more points than anyone else and will enter the event as one of the big favorites.

He will, however, face stiff opposition from the likes of Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and Alexander Zverev, the three former champions in the field.

It remains to be seen if Alcaraz can end Spain’s ATP Finals drought this year, but there’s no doubt he’ll give it his all in Turin.

The 2025 ATP Finals are scheduled to begin on Sunday, November 9.