With Jannik Sinner sidelined until 2027, Carlos Alcaraz has a golden opportunity to claim a maiden ATP Finals title.
Alcaraz will begin his fourth ATP Finals appearance in Turin on Monday as he bids to go all the way at the prestigious year-end event for the first time. The 23-year-old Spaniard reached the final of the competition last season, but fell to Sinner in straight sets.
Alcaraz’s first match of the ATP Finals is on Monday against Frances Tiafoe, and the seven-time Grand Slam champion has adopted an unusual training method ahead of the tournament.
Carlos Alcaraz details his ATP Finals preparation
After returning from a wrist injury that saw him sidelined for four months, Alcaraz began training with an unstrung racket, letting the ball go through the frame as he swung at it. Many assumed this was to slowly ease his wrist back into action before ramping up the intensity, but nearly three months after making his comeback at the US Open, Alcaraz was spotted doing it again ahead of the ATP Finals.
Speaking to Marca, Alcaraz explained that this drill is designed to help him excel on an indoor hard court, the surface used at the ATP Finals. “These are drills to try and hit the ball on the sweet spot of the racket, to extend your hand forward,” said Alcaraz.
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“The ball moves very fast here, and you have very little time to react. If you try to play like you do on clay, hitting the ball high, you’ll end up getting beaten. These drills are designed to help you extend your hand forward, to always hit the ball in the centre of the racket, to stay in a low position, since the ball doesn’t bounce as much here.
“It’s the kind of work that has helped me understand and improve on an indoor court,” he concluded. Alcaraz is looking to become the first Spanish player to win the year-end ATP Finals since Alex Corretja in 1998.
Carlos Alcaraz’s impressive form on the indoor hard court swing
Alcaraz has struggled during the indoor hard-court swing in previous seasons, particularly at the Paris Masters, where he recorded three consecutive early exits in 2023, 2024 and 2025. But this year he has been in impressive form.
Alcaraz kicked off the swing by winning the Vienna Open without dropping a set, earning wins over Tommy Paul, Daniil Medvedev and Alex de Minaur. He then extended his winning streak to nine by winning his first Paris Masters title, beating Ben Shelton in the final.
He enters the ATP Finals as one of the heavy favourites, and will take on Tiafoe, Medvedev and Flavio Cobolli in the group stage.
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