The first big upset at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals took place on Monday afternoon, when Casper Ruud defeated Carlos Alcaraz 6-1, 7-5 in Group John Newcombe. Ruud won nine of the match’s 10 break points, converting all four of his chances while fighting off five of Alcaraz’s six opportunities.
In four previous head-to-head meetings, the Norwegian had not won a single time and was 1-9 lifetime in total sets.
Alcaraz was clearly less than his physical best on Monday, apparently dealing with some kind of sickness. Even when the third-ranked Spaniard is 100 percent, he has never played particularly well this time of year on indoor hard courts. So the result probably isn’t as shocking as it looks on paper, especially since Ruud is a former Nitto ATP Finals runner-up (2022).
“It can be a bit tricky,” Ruud said of facing a hampered opponent. “I knew he was dealing with a bit of a cold. I saw him sniffling in the back area and with a tissue for his nose, so that’s a sign that maybe physically he won’t be necessarily at 100 percent. Of course, that is sad and not good for him, but at the same time it is part of the game.
“I knew it coming in. I tried to make him play rallies and do my best, but it’s not easy because when you kind of know that someone is not 100 percent, maybe you get stressed yourself. You think, ‘this is a really big chance for me to maybe try to win.’ So I just tried to stay in my world, the moment, and luckily I got a good start. I got a break early and kept it, and in the second set I was able to turn it around with some good tennis at the end.
“It’s only one match, but it’s definitely one of the best wins of the season for me–in terms of who I’m playing, his level, his ranking, and all this stuff. I feel very happy of course. I think we will see Carlos play better tennis than he did today, but I took care of my chances.”
nice one, Casper