ATP Finals: Alcaraz Bounces Back with a Win over Rublev

World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain redeemed his opening loss by defeating Russia’s Andrey Rublev, ranked No. 8, with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (10/8) on Wednesday in the second round of the John Newcombe Group at the ATP Finals in Turin.

Alcaraz, who has been dealing with a bout of illness in recent days, initially lost to Norway’s Casper Ruud (ranked No. 7) in his opening match, with scores of 1-6, 5-7. However, his first win at the Finals put him back in contention for a spot in the semifinals.

Alcaraz (21) avenged his loss to Rublev in the Madrid Open quarterfinals this past May, marking his second win in three encounters with Rublev, in a match that lasted an hour and 35 minutes.

This was Rublev’s second loss in Turin, following his earlier defeat to Germany’s Alexander Zverev, World No. 2, with a score of 4-6, 4-6. This match was his fifth consecutive loss.

Rublev, who has shown a dip in form since his defeat in the Montreal Masters 1000 final in August, struggled to keep up with Alcaraz in the first set. The Spaniard, who admitted to feeling mentally drained after his opening match, displayed a sharper performance this time.

Alcaraz capitalized on Rublev’s 14 unforced errors, securing the first set comfortably.

The second set was more balanced, concluding in a tiebreak—the first of this tournament. Alcaraz quickly took a 4-1 lead, but Rublev fought back, even gaining two chances to win the set. However, Alcaraz ultimately prevailed, securing the match.

The Spanish star, who won both the French Open and Wimbledon titles this year, said, “I was surprised by my level, especially from the back of the court. I stayed calm and focused, wanting to forget that I had been ill.”

He added, “When I stepped onto the court, I wanted to show the fans a different level of tennis from what I showed on Monday, and I believe I succeeded.”

Alcaraz, still battling a severe cold, acknowledged that he was not in peak form: “I wasn’t feeling great, just okay, but I tried to ignore it all.”

Alcaraz had cut his practice short the previous day, stopping after just 15 minutes. In his match against Rublev, he wore a pink nasal strip to aid his breathing.

Rublev praised Alcaraz’s performance, saying, “We had a good match. Of the three encounters we’ve had, this was the highest level he’s played. When he plays like this, very few players can beat him.”

Later, Zverev (No. 2) will face Ruud (No. 7), who could secure a spot in the semifinals with a win.

All seven singles matches held so far in this tournament have ended in straight sets.