Carlos Alcaraz started his ATP Finals campaign on the right foot after defeating Alex de Minaur on Sunday.
Alcaraz, who is vying to end the year as world number one and win his first ATP Finals, ran away with the match after battling through a tight first set against the Australian.
The Spaniard has equalled a record held by Jannik Sinner and now has a 5-0 record against de Minaur, who has a worrying 0-15 record against top 10 players since defeating Daniil Medvedev at the 2024 French Open.
It is fair to say that Alcaraz has dominated his matchup against de Minaur; as has Jannik Sinner, who has a 12-0 record against the Australian.
However, Alcaraz noticed a difference in de Minaur’s play on Sunday – a difference that could aid the Australian in the future.
Carlos Alcaraz says Alex de Minaur is trying to play more aggressively
During Alcaraz’s post-match press conference, one reporter asked: “Talking about Alex and how fast he is, he’s such a fighter, you’ve got a 5-0 record against him now.
“Jannik has a 12-0 record against him. What makes the difference for somebody like him when he comes up against the two of you?”
Alcaraz replied: “Well, I mean, I think taking the opportunities that we could bring him in the match. I mean, his style is I would say more defending, trying to make the most of the speed of the rallies or the speed of the ball that we hitting to him.
“I would say, and I think he is starting to do it a bit more, that’s why I have to be really focused, he’s trying to play more aggressively sometimes.
“Yeah, a lot of time he’s making it and sometimes he’s probably missing a little bit more. I think he’s getting there. I would say that could be the difference.
“To be honest, I don’t know. I mean, probably his coach knows much better than me [smiling].”
De Minaur, who is 26 years old, will hope to get his tournament back on track when he faces Taylor Fritz. The pair have a 5-5 record, with Fritz winning their last two contests at the 2024 ATP Finals and 2024 Davis Cup.
Carlos Alcaraz faces Lorenzo Musetti next
Instead of playing Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz will play Lorenzo Musetti in the next round of the ATP Finals.
Djokovic had qualified for the event, but he withdrew after winning the Athens Open due to a shoulder injury.
As a result, Musetti entered the draw and will face Taylor Fritz in his first Finals match on Monday.
Musetti has won just one match against Alcaraz: at the 2022 Hamburg Open. Since then, Alcaraz has won six consecutive matches against the Italian.
Most recently, Alcaraz defeated Musetti at the 2025 French Open. Alcaraz led Musetti 4-6, 7-6, 6-0, 2-0 when the Italian 23-year-old retired from the match.
In his final round robin match, Alcaraz will play American star Taylor Fritz, who trails the Spaniard in their head-to-head 1-4. Alcaraz last defeated a physically-hampered Fritz in the Japan Open final: 6-4, 6-4.
