Carlos Alcaraz beats Taylor Fritz and moves within 1 win of year-end No. 1

TURIN, Italy (AP) – Carlos Alcaraz is one win away from securing the year-ending No. 1 ranking.

Alcaraz rallied past Taylor Fritz 6-7 (2), 7-5, 6-3 on Tuesday at the ATP Finals and now needs to either win his final group match against Lorenzo Musetti or an eventual semifinal to finish a year No. 1 for the second time in his career.

“I’m trying not to think about it, to be honest,” Alcaraz said. “But it’s really difficult, not to think about the No. 1 spot.”

Alcaraz, who improved to 2-0 at the season-ending event for the top eight players, could seal a spot in the semifinals if Alex de Minaur beats Musetti later.

If Alcaraz doesn’t win another match and Jannik Sinner goes undefeated to defend his title, Sinner will finish No. 1.

Alcaraz produced 47 winners to Fritz’s 38 and managed to come back from a set down despite 14 aces from his American opponent.

“It was (a) really, really difficult match,” Alcaraz said. “Really demanding physically. It was really tight. I saved really difficult and important moments during the match, which I’m really proud of and really happy about it to show a really good tennis when it matters.”

Fritz had chances to break Alcaraz’s serve early in the second set.

“I just wasn’t clinical enough in finishing some points on some really big points,” Fritz said.

“The first two sets I think I did an incredible job serving and returning. I gave myself all the chances I could possibly ask for the first two sets,” Fritz added. “My opportunity to win that match was in the second set, and I didn’t take it. I had the chances.”

Alcaraz now tops the Jimmy Connors group ahead of Fritz, who is 1-1. De Minaur and Musetti are both 0-1.

The top two finishers in each group advance to the semifinals.

Sinner leads his group after beating Felix Auger-Aliassime in his opener on Monday.

Fritz was bothered by knee tendinitis in the third set.

“It gets a little bit tough to bend my knee on my serve once we get that late into the match,” Fritz said. “My knee is completely cooked.

“I’ve had tendinitis all year long,” Fritz added. “I’ve really struggled to play back-to-back days without it flaring up. … I started feeling it towards the end of the first set, but it didn’t really affect me until the third set. It just got to the point where I was really struggling to bend my back leg on my serve, step into backhands, load the leg, my right leg, for an open-stance forehand.”