Deminor Stays in the Turin Finals Fight as Alcaraz Holds the Keys

Match Result and Stakes

Alex de Minaur kept his chances to reach the ATP Finals semifinals alive in Turin by defeating Taylor Fritz 7-6, 6-3, closing the round-robin against the American in dramatic fashion. He had suffered a dramatic three-set loss to Lorenzo Musetti on Tuesday and knew he needed a straight-sets win over Fritz to keep any path to the last four. In a strong attacking display, De Minaur controlled the match against a tense Fritz, finishing the group stage with a 1-2 record.

Qualifying Scenarios

De Minaur would advance if top seed Carlos Alcaraz beats Musetti tonight, with De Minaur joining the Spaniard in the semifinals. Musetti would reach the semis by beating Alcaraz. Fritz, runner-up last year, ends the group with a 1-2 record and exits the event.

Notes from De Minaur

After securing his first win over a top-10 opponent outside a team competition this season, De Minaur said he had dealt with a fair share of disappointments recently, and it was good to finally get a win here in Turin, to see some positive feedback for the hard work, and he is very happy with the performance.

Match Details

Seventh seed De Minaur had a chance to wrap up the win on Fritz’s serve at 2-5 in the game, but Fritz saved the moment and kept his serve; unlike Tuesday against Musetti, De Minaur stayed composed on serve to prevail, lifting his closed fist to the crowd in a celebration that contrasted with scenes from Enalbi Arena 40 hours earlier. De Minaur also leads Fritz 6-5 in their head-to-head series, the Australian’s first win in the year-end finals after a 0-3 loss in 2024.

Alcaraz's Path and No. 1 Race

Alcaraz qualified for the semifinals thanks to De Minaur's win over Fritz, winning his first two matches at this year-end event and is set to top Group Jimmy Connors if he beats Musetti later tonight. If Alcaraz loses, he would finish second behind the Italian. The Spaniard will also fight for the year-end No.1 ranking when he steps onto the court; if he reaches 70 wins this season (the highest tally of wins on tour), he will finish the year as world No.1, ahead of Yannick Sinner. If he loses to Musetti, he would face Sinner in the semis, and if Sinner beats Alcaraz and then wins the title undefeated, Sinner would end the year as No.1.

Alcaraz's Finals Campaign

Alcaraz is participating in the Finals for the third time; his best previous result was reaching the semifinals in 2023. The 22-year-old has collected eight titles in 2025, including Roland Garros and the US Open, and has also lifted Masters titles in Monte Carlo, Rome and Cincinnati.

Punchline 1: If De Minaur ends the year as No.1, maybe the trophy needs a tiny espresso machine to keep up with the celebration.

Punchline 2: In tennis and life, when the odds are tight, serve up a joke—the crowd loves a good return line.