Tennis News

Alcaraz falls to Fritz at Laver Cup: 'The pressure wasn't because I am World No. 1'

Carlos Alcaraz’s return to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time since 2023 didn’t go as planned, but he insists that he came up against the better player.

The 22-year-old Spaniard’s 13-match winning streak, which included his milestone US Open triumph, came to an end at the hands of a fired-up Taylor Fritz at the Laver Cup on Saturday night. Alcaraz committed 19 unforced errors to Fritz’s 10, and later reflected on the match.

“It wasn’t the match that I was expecting, but I think I have to look a little bit to him that I think he played great tennis,” said Alcaraz. “I just wasn’t as solid as I wanted in the match, and I think these conditions, it’s pretty slow. The balls are really big, so I had to be solid. I didn’t play that match today.

“Taylor played a great match, really solid, playing aggressive when he could. I think everything went to his side, so I had to congratulate him and that he played a much better game than I did.”

Team Europe trailed 3-5 heading into their leading player Alcaraz’s night-session clash, but the Spaniard was unable to come up with solutions across his 6-3, 6-2 defeat. Asked whether the weight of being World No. 1 played on his mind, Alcaraz dismissed the idea.

“Not really. Today I feel like I had to win the point, because the way that the day is going, with the two losses, I feel like I had to win my match,” Alcaraz said. “It was a little bit of extra pressure, because of the way that the day was going on, but it wasn’t because I’m the No. 1 in the world.

“I think the ranking is just a number. It shouldn’t give you the pressure that you have to win everything and every match. I’m there, but you have to still do the things that you were doing before. But with the two losses, I felt a little bit of extra pressure.”

It marked Fritz’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head win over Alcaraz in his fourth attempt, giving Team World a 7-3 lead before Alex de Minaur and Alex Michelsen improved that to 9-3 with their doubles win over Casper Ruud and Holger Rune.

Alcaraz, who owns a 61-7 record this season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, will try to make amends when he faces Francisco Cerundolo on Sunday evening in Team Europe’s bid to win its second consecutive title at the teams event.

Cerundolo, who dispatched Rune in straight sets on Saturday, is another player known for his aggressive game, and Alcaraz will have to find the solutions he was unable to against the big-hitting Fritz.

“I feel like he was more on the court than me,” Alcaraz said of Fritz. ”I think that the first or second shot of the rally was really important, and I think he did it much better than I did. I think that was the key, because as I said, in these conditions, I think the first shots are really important.

“When you are defending, when you are running on the court, it is really difficult to turn around the situations. It is really difficult when you are defending, turning to attack is really difficult because of the balls and the conditions that are really slow. As I said, Taylor was right. He was more aggressive than me. He did much better on the first shots than me, and I was running more than him. I think that was the key today.”

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Fritz stuns Alcaraz to turn tide for Team World

American Taylor Fritz stuns world number one Carlos Alcaraz as Team World turn things around to take a 9-3 lead on day two of the Laver Cup.

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Federer & Steph Curry join Alcaraz, Fritz for unforgettable coin toss

On Sunday one team will win the Laver Cup at San Francisco’s Chase Center, an arena very familiar with championship trophies thanks to one of the building’s primary tenants, the Golden State Warriors.

Superstar Stephen Curry has led the Warriors to four NBA titles since 2015, including one in 2022 after the team’s move to Chase Center three years prior. With the Laver Cup being played in Curry’s house, the 37-year-old point guard was on hand for Saturday night’s action and performed the coin toss ahead of Taylor Fritz’s upset win against Carlos Alcaraz, the No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

When Curry walked out onto the court with Roger Federer, the sell-out crowd let out perhaps its biggest roar of the night. As Alcaraz and Fritz posed for a pre-match picture with the two legends, their teammates and captains rushed the court to take part in the photo opp, with Agassi particularly enthused.

“It’s pretty sick. It’s pretty hard to not be really just pumped up to play a match when that’s kind of like the intro to the match,” Fritz said after his upset win against the Spaniard. “Definitely no shortage of just adrenaline for this one.”

A longtime tennis fan, Curry has been a repeat visitor at the US Open and attended this year’s men’s singles final in New York between Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

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Fritz stuns Alcaraz to continue perfect Laver Cup day for Team World

Taylor Fritz earned his first Lexus ATP Head2Head win in four tries against Carlos Alcaraz to extend a perfect Saturday for Team World at Laver Cup.

In a 6-3, 6-2 victory, the American imposed his powerful game on the new No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, dictating from the baseline at every opportunity and enjoying great success at net in the upset. Fittingly, he closed the match with a forehand volley winner, looking more like vice captain Pat Rafter than delighted captain Andre Agassi.

“We’ve been talking all day. It’s been an honour to play under Andre,” Fritz said post-match. “Both of us love to share our thoughts about the game. I knew what I had to do out here tonight. The question was whether I was going to be able to do it.”

Buoyed by the San Francisco crowd, which let out a roar when Golden State Warriors’ star Stephen Curry walked onto the court with Roger Federer for the coin toss, Fritz kept the volume up in Chase Center by taking the match to Alcaraz.

Fritz’s win staked his team a 7-3 advantage in the first-to-13 event, with each Saturday match counting for two points.

Alcaraz was playing his first singles match since winning his sixth Grand Slam singles title at the US Open and returning to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The defeat snapped a 13-match winning streak that dated back to the start of his trophy run at the Cincinnati ATP Masters 1000 event.

More to follow…

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De Minaur channels Federer’s playbook, upsets Zverev at Laver Cup

Alex de Minaur turned his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Alexander Zverev upside down Saturday at the Laver Cup.

The Australian upset the No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings 6-1, 6-4 to draw Team World level with Team Europe at three points each. Team World’s Francisco Cerundolo faces Team Europe’s Holger Rune to close the day session.

“I started out of the blocks pretty quickly and I was playing some great tennis,” De Minaur said. “I knew it was only going to get harder. He’s a great competitor. He was going to make my life very difficult, but utlimately I’m so proud of myself [for] backing myself in these important moments and getting a big win for Team World.”

Zverev entered the clash with an 8-2 lead in their rivalry and in De Minaur’s two victories, he needed three grueling sets to emerge victorious. But in San Francisco, De Minaur took advantage of the slow, low-bouncing conditions by changing his game.

Former World No. 1 Jim Courier noted in his on-court interview that De Minaur used his backhand slice to great effect, like Roger Federer, who was in the stands, used to do.

“I don’t want to say too much,” De Minaur said. “But he wrote the playbook, I just read it.”

The 10-time ATP Tour titlist saved three of the four break points he faced according to Infosys ATP Stats and converted four of his seven opportunities.

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GB 'come up short' to miss out on BJK Cup final after 2-0 loss to US

Great Britain’s wait for a first Billie Jean King Cup title goes on as they suffer a 2-0 loss to the United States in the semi-finals.

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Boulter loses to Pegula as GB out of BJK Cup

Watch the best shots, as the United States’ Jessica Pegula fights back from a set down to beat Katie Boulter and knock Great Britain out of the Billie Jean King Cup at the semi-final stage.

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GB's Kartal runs Navarro close in BJK Cup semi-final

A battling Sonay Kartal falls to the United States’ Emma Navarro, as Great Britain go 1-0 down in the semi-finals of the Billie Jean King Cup.

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Jannik Sinner's Beijing journey: Triumph, heartbreak & unfinished business

Jannik Sinner’s story at the China Open in Beijing has been one of glory, pain, and promise still to be fulfilled.

After announcing himself on Chinese soil with a dazzling title run on his debut in 2023, the Italian returned the following year to reach another final, only to fall short in an unforgettable showdown with Carlos Alcaraz that showcased the very best of their Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry. That defeat stung, but it also planted the seeds for future success.

Now, as the No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Sinner returns with renewed determination and the confidence of a player who has already conquered Beijing. Ahead of the 2025 edition, ATPTour.com revisits his journey at the ATP 500 event.

2023: Dream Debut
After a stunning run across the 2023 season, highlighted by his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto, Sinner arrived in Beijing as an established Top 10 player brimming with confidence. The then-22-year-old’s level rose even further that week.

He prevailed over Daniel Evans and Grigor Dimitrov in three sets, either side of a commanding win against Yoshihito Nishioka, to book a semi-final against Alcaraz. In a clash that underlined the growing intrigue of their rivalry, Sinner raced to a 7-6(4), 6-1 victory to move ahead 4-3 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

From there, Sinner carried that momentum into the championship match against Daniil Medvedev, who had defeated him six straight times, including earlier that season in the Miami final. On this occasion, Sinner held his ground across two tie-breaks to capture his maiden Beijing crown and cement his debut inside the Top 5 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

“Daniil, thanks for letting me win at least one match,” Sinner joked during the trophy ceremony. “We have had some very tough battles, especially this year. Thanks for making me a much better player. I have been training a lot to beat you. My team are working a lot. Thank you very much and it is special to share this moment with you.”

Watch Beijing 2023 Final Highlights: 

2024: Rivalry and Resolve
By the 2024 Asian swing, Sinner had established himself as the first Italian to reach No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings and was a dominant threat on hard courts. In Beijing, however, his path was anything but straightforward.

He had to rally from a set down in each of his opening two matches against Nicolas Jarry and Roman Safiullin before finding his stride and surging into a second consecutive final. There, a familiar rival awaited once again: Alcaraz, and their latest encounter lived up to the billing.

The pair traded jaw-dropping exchanges across three pulsating sets, and Sinner appeared on the verge of successfully defending his crown when he raced to a 3/0 lead in the final-set tie-break. Yet Alcaraz stormed back, reeling off seven consecutive points to snatch the title and notch his third straight win over the Italian.

“It’s always nice to be part of these kinds of matches. Obviously disappointed it didn’t go my way. These kinds of matches can really go both ways. But it was not my day,” Sinner said. “He played better in important moments. That’s it. I’m proud again of a great week, making finals here. Last year I won here. For sure it’s a place where I love to play, so I’m already looking forward to next year.”

<img alt=”Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/09/19/16/11/sinner-alcaraz-beijing-tournament-feature-2025.jpg” />_{^{Jannik Sinner poses with Carlos Alcaraz after their three-set Beijing final in 2024. Photo: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images.}} 

2025: Beijing Bounceback?
Two years on from his maiden triumph and 12 months removed from the heartbreak of his final defeat, Sinner returns to Beijing with new motivation — and under new circumstances. The 24-year-old will compete for the first time since his 65-week reign as World No. 1 ended after the US Open final, when he ceded top spot to Alcaraz.

Sinner boasts a sparkling 9-1 record at the China Open, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, a testament to his comfort on Beijing’s hard courts. With a second title, he would join record six-time champion Novak Djokovic and two-time winner Rafael Nadal as the only men to win multiple crowns at the event.

Yet the road to redemption remains daunting. This year’s draw includes fellow Top 10 stars Alexander Zverev, Alex de Minaur and Lorenzo Musetti.

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Musetti gets Chengdu ‘revenge’ bid underway with Prizmic win

Lorenzo Musetti was forced to navigate a testing return to the Chengdu Open on Saturday, but the top seed and defending finalist showed his grit and flair to keep his title hopes alive.

In his first outing since his run to the US Open quarter-finals two-and-a-half weeks ago, Musetti overcame spirited #NextGenATP talent Dino Prizmic 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 in two hours, 16 minutes at the Chinese ATP 250 event. Prizmic matched Musetti’s 27 winners with his fearless shotmaking, but the Italian found an extra gear in the deciding set to accelerate to victory.

Musetti mania 🤩@ChengduOpen | #ChengduOpen | @Lorenzo1Musetti pic.twitter.com/exO9hPOBAr

— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 20, 2025

“Today I started with a little bit of tension, but it’s pretty normal, it’s my first match in more than two weeks,” Musetti said. “The first match in China is always tough… Different conditions from last year, and of course the opponent: He was playing really solid, so I had to find my way and in the third set I started to play better and take the lead of the game.”

Fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, Prizmic was competing in Chengdu through the Next Gen Accelerator, which offers players aged 20 and under increased opportunity to compete on the ATP Tour.

Musetti, who is aiming to make his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals this year, is eighth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, now just 25 points behind Alex de Minaur in seventh. Into his third quarter-final in Chengdu, the 23-year-old Italian will next face qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili.

Having improved to a 6-2 tournament record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Musetti tied Grigor Dimitrov for the most quarter-finals (3) and Shang Juncheng for the most wins (6) in event history. He made the final last year as the top seed, but fell to Shang in straight sets.

“Even before starting the tournament, I said that my goal is to take revenge from last year,” Musetti said. “It was a great run for me, but hopefully this year will go even better, and this is a nice start.”

Watch Extended Highlights from Saturday in Chengdu:

Musetti’s quarter-final opponent Basilashvili continued his run from qualifying with a 6-2, 7-6(4) victory over Mackenzie McDonald — his first Lexus ATP Head2Head win over the American in his fourth attempt (1-3).

Fellow qualifier Taro Daniel also advanced on Saturday by upsetting third seed Tallon Griekspoor 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 and reaching his first ATP Tour quarter-final since Auckland in January last year. The Japanese will face Chengdu debutant Alexander Shevchenko, who rallied past sixth seed Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 6-4 in the final match of the day.

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