Carlos Alcaraz suffered a loss in his first match at the ATP Finals in Turin. World no. 3 fell to Casper Ruud 6-1, 7-5 in an hour and 25 minutes, wasting a massive advantage in the second set and extending his struggles on an indoor court. The Spaniard did not feel well physically, revealing stomach issues despite not taking away anything from Casper's victory. Carlos arrived in Turin with stomach problems but felt better during the practice sessions. However, he could not compete at his best in the opening match, struggling to breathe and losing too much energy in the exchanges. The four-time Major winner hopes to recover and perform better against Alexander Zverev or Andrey Rublev on Wednesday. Alcaraz was off to a terrible start, spraying too many errors before raising his level in set number two. Still, he stopped at 5-2, allowing Casper to rattle off five games and cross the finish line without playing a decider.
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What went wrong for Alcaraz against Ruud?
Unlike the Paris Masters, Carlos came to Turin better prepared, training at home on the exact surface. However, it did not help him against Casper, especially in the opening set. Ruud outplayed his nemesis behind the first and second serve, earning his first victory over a player who prevented him from winning a Major and becoming world no. 1 two years ago. The Norwegian lost serve once in the second set after saving all five break points in the opener. He took 43% of the return points and turned them into four breaks from as many opportunities, taking his chances and outshadowing the better-ranked rival.
Alcaraz embraced four comfortable holds in the second set. However, he experienced two late breaks to yield the advantage and end on the losing side. Ruud avoided errors, adding 16 winners and ten mistakes to his tally. On the other hand, Carlos landed 25 winners while spraying 26 loose shots, missing equally from both wings. Also, the Spaniard finished the duel with 15 service winners and lost the edge from the baseline. He performed well in the mid-range and most advanced exchanges, but the Norwegian took charge in the shortest ones, earning the win in that segment.
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Carlos struggles in the opener and takes a single game
World no. 3 was off to a reliable start, generating two break points in the first game of the duel after Ruud's massive forehand error. Casper kept his composure and denied them, with Carlos missing a backhand on the second. Alcaraz grabbed the second game with a forehand winner before his rival closed the next one with an unreturned serve for a 2-1 lead. Carlos sprayed a backhand error in the fourth game, facing break points and placing a forehand long on the first to suffer a break and fall 3-1 behind.
Ruud played against three break points in the fifth game, and Alcaraz sprayed a routine forehand error on the first. The Spaniard missed the second after another loose shot, and the Norwegian erased the third with a winner before holding for 4-1. Carlos wasted his opportunities and lost the ground, playing more wayward shots in the sixth game and experiencing a break at 15 that sent him 5-1 behind. Casper produced a hold at love in game seven, painting an ace and wrapping up the first part of the duel 6-1 in 35 minutes.
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Carlos builds a massive advantage in the second set before squandering it
The Spaniard raised his level in the second set and delivered four comfortable holds and a break. The younger player landed a volley winner in the third game and closed it with an ace for 2-1. The Norwegian responded with a service winner in the fourth game before feeling issues at 2-3. Carlos found his strokes and landed a forehand winner for a break chance, converting it with a volley winner and providing his only break of serve that pushed him 4-2 in front. The four-time Major winner hit well in those moments, securing the seventh game with a forehand winner and extending the gap.
He extended the eighth game before his rival closed it with a fine serve & volley attack to prolong the action. Ruud played well on the return at 3-5, painting a lob winner for two break points and seizing the first after Alcaraz's backhand mistake. Casper held at love at 5-4, climbing back and gathering a boost. Carlos played another loose service game at 5-5, facing a break point after a forehand error and losing serve following the rival's deep return. Ruud served for a notable victory at 6-5 and squandered two match points. However, he kept his composure and earned the third with a forced error. The former ATP Finals finalist made no mistake this time, landing an ace and moving over the top.
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"I got sick before coming to Turin. My first training sessions went well, and I felt better despite the illness. I sensed I could compete and endure long rallies. I'm not sure what happened today; maybe it was the nerves of playing the first match, but I did not feel well. The stomach issues made me suffer in the rallies, and I could not recover appropriately between the points. I struggled with my breathing, and it limited my performance. I do not want to make excuses or take anything away from Casper's performance, but I had to explain how I feel," Carlos Alcaraz said.
