'Heartbroken' Alcaraz pulls out of Davis Cup Finals
World number one Carlos Alcaraz says he is “heartbroken” after withdrawing from Spain’s Davis Cup Finals team because of a hamstring injury.
World number one Carlos Alcaraz says he is “heartbroken” after withdrawing from Spain’s Davis Cup Finals team because of a hamstring injury.
Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from Spain’s upcoming Davis Cup Final 8 quarter-final against Czechia, which will take place on Thursday, 20 November in Bologna, due to a right hamstring injury.
The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, who fell to Jannik Sinner Sunday’s Nitto ATP Finals title match, required a medical timeout during the final to have his leg strapped. Alcaraz arrived in Italy on Monday but, after undergoing tests, decided to withdraw and return home.
“I am very sorry to announce that I will not be able to play with Spain in the Davis Cup in Bologna,” Alcaraz wrote on X on Tuesday morning. “I have edema in my right hamstring and the medical recommendation is not to compete. I have always said that playing for Spain is the greatest thing there is and I was really looking forward to helping fight for the Salad Bowl [trophy]. I am going home hurt…”
Siento muchísimo anunciar que no voy a poder jugar con España la Copa Davis en Bolonia… 🥲 Tengo un edema en el isquiotibial de la pierna derecha y la recomendación médica es no competir. Siempre he dicho que jugar por España es lo más grande que hay y me hacía mucha ilusión… pic.twitter.com/ftWvwGUYcu
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) November 18, 2025
Spain’s team, captained by David Ferrer, features Jaume Munar, Pedro Martinez and Pablo Carreno Busta. They will face Czechia — led by Jiri Lehecka and Jakub Mensik — on Thursday at 10 a.m. CET, with the winner advancing to play either Argentina or Germany in the semi-finals.
Alcaraz ends his 2025 season with a Tour-leading 71 wins and eight titles, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. He split the four majors with Sinner and leads the Italian 10-6 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, having won four of their six final showdowns this year.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Grand Slam winners Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka are expected to face each other at the United Cup in Perth in their first event of the 2026 season.
Emma Raducanu will focus on a training camp in Spain rather than travel to the United States to play two exhibition matches next month, as she manages a foot issue.
Christopher Eubanks announced his retirement from tennis on Monday via a post on Instagram.
“If you had told this little boy from the Southside of Atlanta that he would’ve accomplished all that he did, he wouldn’t believe you,” Eubanks wrote on social media. “2 Time ACC Player of the Year? Yeah right. Wimbledon Quarter-finalist? No chance. An Olympian? Unfathomable. I was given opportunity to travel around the world and form incredible relationships all while fulfilling a lifelong dream of playing professional tennis. I can’t put into words how blessed I have been. Is this absolutely the end?! Tough to say for certain but if it is, WHOOPTY DOO!!! It’s been an incredible ride.”
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Eubanks made his tour-level debut in 2015 at the ATP 250 event in Atlanta, where he was born. The 29-year-old earned his maiden tour-level win in the same city two years later before he made his major breakthrough in 2023.
That season, Eubanks advanced to the quarter-finals at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami, captured his lone ATP Tour title on grass in Mallorca and then reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon. The American climbed to a career-high No. 29 in the PIF ATP Rankings following his run in London.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Cristian Garin joined a six-way tie for a season-leading four Challenger titles on Sunday when he won the Uruguay Open in Montevideo.
The former No. 17 ousted Peru’s Ignacio Buse 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-2 in the clay-court final to secure his return to the Top 100 for the first time in 18 months. Buse would have made his Top 100 debut in the PIF ATP Rankings had he triumphed.
But the 29-year-old Garin spoiled Buse’s hopes and claimed his eighth Challenger title. His three previous trophies this year came in Mauthausen, Oeiras and on home soil in Antofagasta.
“Proud of the effort and already looking ahead to what’s next,” Garin wrote in an Instagram post reflecting on his 2025 season. “Thank you to everyone who supported me. See you in ’26.”
Garin, seeded fifth in Montevideo, rallied from a set down in his final three matches of the week. After falling to as low as World No. 214 in April, Garin is now in good position to make the Australian Open main draw.
Challenger Singles Titles Leaders, 2025
| Player | Titles |
| Nicolai Budkov Kjaer | 4 |
| Jan Choinski | 4 |
| Borna Coric | 4 |
| Emilio Nava | 4 |
| Patrick Kypson | 4 |
| Cristian Garin | 4 |
Garin was not the only former Top 25 player to triumph on the Challenger circuit this week. German Jan-Lennard Struff lifted his seventh trophy at that level with a title run at the ALL IN OPEN Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in Lyon.
Struff, who reached a career-high No. 21 in June 2023, downed British qualifier Liam Broady 6-4, 6-4 in the championship match.
<img alt=”From left to right, Liam Broady, former No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Lyon champion Jan-Lennard Struff.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/11/17/16/11/struff-lyonch-2025.jpg?w=100%25″ />
From left to right: Liam Broady, former No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Lyon champion Jan-Lennard Struff. Credit: All In Group
Kozlov claims first title since 2021, fittingly at same tournament
American Stefan Kozlov captured his first Challenger title in four years by triumphing at the Paine Schwartz Partners Challenger — the same event he won back in 2021. The 27-year-old saved a match point in his quarter-final against Darwin Blanch and rode that momentum through the final, claiming a 7-6(3), 7-5 victory against former Arizona State University standout Murphy Cassone.
Glinka, 25, becomes third Estonian Challenger champion
Daniil Glinka became the third Estonian player (Mark Lajal, Jurgen Zopp) to win a Challenger title with his maiden title at the Challenger Banque Nationale de Drummondville. The 25-year-old lefty, who beat Canadian wild card Duncan Chan 6-4, 6-2 in the final, is up to a career-high No. 191 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
Watanuki wins Kobe Challenger for third time
Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki capped a memorable week at the Hyogo Noah Challenger in Kobe, where the home favourite won the tournament for the third time. Having lifted the trophy in 2019 and 2022, Watanuki found his best level to return to the winner’s circle. The 27-year-old downed Elias Ymer 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the title match.
Bolt begins Aussie swing with home victory
A three-week Australian hard-court swing began at the Brisbane QTC Tennis International, featuring home hope Alex Bolt going all the way to the title. Bolt did not drop a set across five matches to secure his first Challenger crown since June 2021. The lefty defeated Tung-Lin Wu 6-3, 6-3 in the final.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]New week, new opportunities 💯
Stream all the action LIVE ➡️ https://t.co/zdmegU414m#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/5Z0p9dLqwB
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) November 17, 2025
The ATP today published the 2025 year-end PIF ATP Rankings on ATPTour.com with Carlos Alcaraz finishing as ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF.
The Spaniard enjoyed a back-and-forth battle with Jannik Sinner for top spot throughout the season before ultimately securing his second year-end No. 1 honour (also 2022).
At just 22 years old, Alcaraz has now held World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings for 46 weeks, more than 15 other members of the prestigious ATP No. 1 Club. He recaptured the position from Sinner after winning the US Open and, with the exception of one week, has held it since.
Alcaraz is just the second active player to secure multiple year-end No. 1 finishes, joining Novak Djokovic (8). The Murcia native won eight titles to lead the ATP Tour. It was the most he has claimed in a season in his career.
Alcaraz showed great consistency, during one stretch reaching nine consecutive finals. He emerged victorious at two majors (Roland Garros and US Open), three ATP Masters 1000 events (Monte-Carlo, Rome and Cincinnati) and three ATP 500 tournaments (Rotterdam, Queen’s Club and Tokyo).
Sinner held the top spot from the Monday after Roland Garros in 2024 through the Monday after this year’s US Open, increasing his total to 66 weeks when he recaptured No. 1 for one week ahead of the Nitto ATP Finals. Alcaraz and Sinner were the only two players to hold World No. 1 this season.
Year-end No. 1 was still up for grabs in Turin, but Alcaraz swept his three round-robin matches to clinch year-end No. 1. Alcaraz and Sinner met six times this season, with the former winning four of their six Lexus ATP Head2Head showdowns. Sinner triumphed against the Spaniard on Sunday in the championship match of the Nitto ATP Finals, marking his second consecutive victory at the season finale.
Novak Djokovic finished in the year-end Top 5 for the 17th time, breaking a tie with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the most in PIF ATP Rankings history. Ending 2025 as World No. 4, the Serbian reached the 100-titles mark in Geneva and added his 101st tour-level title in Athens. Only Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) own more singles trophies in the Open Era.
Alcaraz, Sinner and Alexander Zverev were also in the year-end Top 5 in 2024. There are three players who finished the season in the year-end Top 10 for the first time: Lorenzo Musetti, Ben Shelton and Jack Draper. All three men had never cracked the Top 10 before 2025, but each reached No. 6 or higher in 2025.
In the year-end Top 10, there are two Italians (Sinner and Musetti) and two Americans (Taylor Fritz and Shelton). It is just the second time there have been two Italians in the same season, with Matteo Berrettini and Sinner doing so in 2021.
There are two lefties in the year-end Top 10: Shelton and Draper. It is the first time more than one lefty has finished a season in the elite group since 2010 (Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco). Both Shelton and Draper cracked the Top 5, joining Nadal as the only lefties to do so this century.
2025 YEAR-END PIF ATP RANKINGS TOP 10
1) Carlos Alcaraz – Becomes one of only 11 players who have earned ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours multiple times following a season in which he claimed a career-best eight titles.
2) Jannik Sinner – Earns second straight Top-2 finish, winning two majors (Australian Open and Wimbledon), the Nitto ATP Finals, an ATP Masters 1000 trophy (Paris) and two ATP 500 events (Beijing and Vienna).
3) Alexander Zverev – Earns third year-end Top-3 finish, accomplishing the feat for the second consecutive year after finishing No. 2 in 2024.
4) Novak Djokovic – Claims 18th year-end Top 10 finish. Became just the third man to earn 100 tour-level titles and lifted multiple trophies for the 19th time in his career with victories in Geneva and Athens.
5) Felix Auger-Aliassime – Led the ATP Tour in tie-break wins (32) and deciding-set victories (20) in 2025 to return to the year-end Top 10 for the second time (also 2022).
6) Taylor Fritz – Finishes the season as the No. 1 American for the fifth consecutive year and reaches the 10-titles mark for his career with triumph in Eastbourne. Led the ATP Tour in aces with 867.
7) Alex de Minaur – Earns year-end Top 10 finish for second straight season and reaches the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. Claimed more hard-court triumphs (43) than any other player on Tour.
8) Lorenzo Musetti – Earns first year-end Top 10 finish behind a career-best season in which the Italian reached his maiden ATP Masters 1000 final in Monte-Carlo and made the Roland Garros semi-finals for the first time.
9) Ben Shelton – Breaks into the Top 10 in June and surges as high as No. 5, coming within one victory in Turin of finishing the year as the No. 1 American.
10) Jack Draper – Becomes the first Briton to finish in the Top 10 since Andy Murray claimed ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours in 2016. Won his first ATP Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells.
2025 Year-End PIF ATP Rankings Quick Facts
VIEW FULL 2025 YEAR-END PIF ATP RANKINGS
[NEWSLETTER FORM]“Nerves are opportunities.”
That’s the lesson Martin Landaluce carries into every match, and it’s a mindset that perfectly captures the spirit of the new generation.
As the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF approach, Landaluce, Justin Engel and Federico Cina are proving that what fuels tomorrow’s stars isn’t luck or raw talent, but the inner tools they’ve built: discipline, joy, connection and the belief that pressure can push you forward.
Landaluce claimed his second ATP Masters 1000 main-draw win in Cincinnati in August and added a second ATP Challenger Tour title to his resume one month later in Orleans, France. The results lifted him into strong contention to reach Jeddah and showed a maturity well beyond his 19 years. It’s a maturity that begins off the court.
“I like doing a lot of things outside of tennis that help me mentally. Reading, breathing exercises, meditation,” Landaluce recently told ATPTour.com. “Those things help me stay focused on court. I try to rely on discipline more than motivation. A lot of people think motivation comes first, but for me, discipline comes first and that brings motivation.
“You start doing something, and as you get better, you start enjoying it more. That’s where the motivation comes from.”
The Spaniard began training at the Rafa Nadal Academy when he was 14 and has been able to gain valuable insight from the 22-time major champion and former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. At the same time, he also began working with a psychologist, a combination that helped shape his understanding of pressure and helped him view nerves as a sign of growth rather than fear.
“That’s helped me mature a lot, not just as a tennis player, but as a person,” Landaluce said when asked about working with his psychologist. “One big thing is learning that nerves are actually good. They mean you care. Nerves are opportunities.
“You also have to learn to manage pressure, whether it’s from winning a big tournament, from your country, your club, or expectations others put on you. That’s a lot for someone who’s 16, 17, or 18 years old. Psychology has helped me stay calm, block out the noise and not get caught up in the negative side of things like social media or criticism. It’s helped me focus on what really matters.”
Landaluce’s commitment to discipline is a thread that also runs through the rise of Germany’s Engel, another standout in this year’s PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah.
Engel’s 2025 season has been defined by breakthrough progress, most notably his inspired run on home soil in Stuttgart. The then-17-year-old became the second-youngest player since 1990 to win a tour-level match on all three surfaces after Nadal. In October, Engel overcame fellow Next Gen contender Cina in a tight final to capture his first ATP Challenger Tour title.
Watch Engel reach his first ATP Tour quarter-final in Stuttgart:
Despite the milestones, Engel remains grounded, built around simple rituals and a deep sense of dedication.
On the road, he finds balance through connection.
“When I have to do nothing, I call my friends and we talk for almost two to three hours,” Engel said, and on match days, he sticks to the same familiar routine: “I always eat the same thing in the morning… six eggs.”
But like Landaluce, the foundation of Engel’s rise is discipline.
“I always say it’s not about motivation, just about discipline,” the 18-year-old added. “I try to give my best. Of course, sometimes it’s good to have motivation, but it’s not important. You just need to be dedicated, to be professional and just do your thing.”
As Engel continues his rise, Cina has carved out his own impressive path in 2025, building steadily on his early-season breakthrough. The Italian earned his first tour-level win at the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami and has also reached three ATP Challenger Tour finals this year.
For Cina, staying level-headed is just as important as pushing forward. Away from the court, he finds his balance in the familiar comforts that keep him connected to home.
“I’m usually quite relaxed, even before big matches,” said Cina, who reached the US Open semi-finals as a junior in 2023. “I like to chat with my friends, maybe video call them because I don’t see them much. I like traveling and flying, but I also miss home. Still, it’s my job and I love it, so I have to do it.”
<img alt=”Federico Cina” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/11/17/15/08/cina-miami-2025-next-gen.jpg” />Federico Cina maid his tour-level main-draw debut in Miami. Photo: Peter Staples/ATP Tour.
The long season has brought its challenges, but the 18-year-old approaches it all with a calm perspective, aided by the support of his father and former professional, Francesco Cina.
“Recently I was a bit sick at a tournament, and this hasn’t been a great period,” Cina admitted. “I’m also a bit tired after the season, but my coach and my dad remind me to keep enjoying practice. Keeping that spirit is very important, and the results will come. We talk about sport. I love my football so that helps me switch off from tennis.”
Cina’s calm contrasts with one of the most defining ideas Landaluce carries with him, a mantra passed down from his father and one he returns to when the pressure spikes.
“There’s one mantra my dad always told me on court: ‘You’re alone. Help yourself win’,” Landaluce said. “It’s simple, but powerful. In tennis, you’re out there alone. There’s no team like in football, it’s just you. You have to manage your emotions, your decisions, your pressure, everything, by yourself.”
It’s a reminder that while each player on the road to Jeddah has their own rituals, rhythms and sources of energy, the heart of their journeys is the same. Whether through discipline, friendship or joy, they’re learning to rely on themselves and to use every moment, even pressure, as fuel for what comes next.
This is the fourth feature of our Next Gen ATP series Next in Line. Read our other stories here:
Wimbledon dreams, Nishikori’s run & Vinci’s courtside lessons: Next Gen stars share memories
Next Steps: How Tien, Basavareddy & Engel are making the leap
Learning from Legends: Nadal, Cilic & Ram inspiring #NextGenATP stars
Lleyton Hewitt will join forces with his 16-year-old son Cruz Hewitt at this week’s NSW Open, an ATP Challenger Tour event in Sydney.
A former World No. 1 who amassed 30 tour-level titles in a storied career, Hewitt is now set for a new kind of memorable moment in this father-son outing on home soil. They will open against fellow wild cards, 19-year-old Aussies Hayden Jones and Pavle Marinkov. The match time is yet to be announced.
Cruz will also compete in the Sydney singles field, marking his third Challenger main-draw appearance in his young career. The teenager is No. 759 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
Fans can stream all ATP Challenger Tour matches for free on Challenger TV. Stay tuned to ATP Challenger Tour social media for updates regarding when the Hewitts will play their first-round match.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]The Nitto ATP Finals title match between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday became the most-watched tennis broadcast in Italian television history.
Over 6.7 million viewers watched on linear TV alone, with the combined total across linear and digital reaching 7.008 million. Sinner defeated Alcaraz 7-6(4), 7-5 and successfully defended his Turin crown — surpassing the previous national record of 6.6 million set during Sinner’s final showdown with Novak Djokovic at the season finale in 2023.
The moment. The champion.@emirates | #EmiratesFlyBetterMoments | #partner pic.twitter.com/C1RTNGzNHM
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 16, 2025
The new benchmark not only underscores Sinner’s status as a national sporting icon but also the surging momentum behind tennis viewership in Italy, helped by the likes of fellow stars Lorenzo Musetti, Flavio Cobolli and Luciano Darderi.
Sunday’s final was the latest instalment of the fast-growing rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner, the top two players in the PIF ATP Rankings. It marked their sixth meeting in 2025, which have all come in finals, including in the past three majors.
Sinner, who trails Alcaraz 6-10 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, extended his indoor winning streak to 31 matches, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. His last defeat in these conditions came to Djokovic — the previous most-watched tennis broadcast in Italian television history.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]