Aged just 23 and with seven major titles already to his name, Carlos Alcaraz has very little to prove to anyone. The Spaniard has become accustomed to making history in recent years and his greatest achievement yet may have been his Australian Open triumph in January, becoming the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam.

A persistent wrist injury denied Alcaraz the chance to win a third straight title at Roland Garros or compete at Wimbledon this summer, though he has wasted little time since returning from his four-month absence. After his return at the US Open, where he reached the last eight, he has won three of his last four tournaments, and his season is not over yet.

As well as the Davis Cup later this month, Alcaraz will be among the leading players at the ATP Finals in Turin next week. It is one of the biggest titles that the 23-year-old is yet to win, and he may not have a better opportunity to triumph for the first time.

Indoor Dominance

Indoor tennis was previously seen as Alcaraz’s weakness, though signs of improvement began to emerge last year. Victory at the Rotterdam Open in February 2025 saw the Spaniard claim his first ever title indoors and, while he suffered an early defeat at the Paris Masters twelve months ago, he produced close to flawless tennis to reach the championship match of the ATP Finals last November. Alcaraz was denied glory in Turin by great rival Jannik Sinner on that occasion, the Italian claiming back-to-back ATP Finals triumphs on home soil.

It is Sinner who has conclusively been the ATP’s leading indoor player in recent years, though his injury-led absence this indoor swing opened a door that Alcaraz has seemingly stepped through with ease. A fortnight ago he was the champion at the ATP 500 event in Vienna, not dropping a set on his way to title, and saving his best performance to last with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Alex de Minaur in the championship match.

That was swiftly followed by a maiden triumph at the Paris Masters, where Alcaraz battled from the brink to claim the ninth Masters 1000 title of his career. The Spaniard memorably saved two match points to fend off Taylor Fritz in the quarter-final, before victories over Casper Ruud in the semi-final and Ben Shelton in the final saw him triumph.

He has never had a stretch like this on indoor courts before, and his Paris Masters win was particularly remarkable; he had only reached the quarter-final of the event once before this year. Back-to-back victories in Vienna and Paris see Alcaraz ride a nine-match win streak and, while he was pushed at points in both events, his momentum is undeniable. By far and away, Alcaraz has been the star of the indoor season, and his current streak suggests he will be tough for anyone to challenge in Turin.

Rivals Lagging Behind

With no Sinner in Turin this season, all eyes will be on who can triumph this time around. And, if Alcaraz’s fine form hadn’t already cemented his place as the clear favorite, struggles behind him only reinforce his status.  

Of the eight players who have successfully qualified, Alexander Zverev has the most impressive ATP Finals resume, triumphing in London in 2018 and Turin in 2021. This has undeniably been a landmark year for Zverev, the 29-year-old having tasted long-awaited Grand Slam success at the French Open and US Open as well as claiming the world No. 1 ranking for the first time. 

The German’s first match as the world No. 1 did not go to plan, however, with a straight-sets defeat to Lorenzo Musetti seeing him exit the Paris Masters after just one match. And, despite his success this year, Zverev has won just three of his 12 matches against top-10 opposition in 2026, a trend that could prove problematic for his ATP Finals hopes.

Of the remaining competitors, both home favourite Flavio Cobolli and Arthur Fils are set to make their event debuts, though enter with lingering injury concerns. America’s Frances Tiafoe and rising Spanish star Rafael Jodar also debut at the ATP Finals in 2026, but neither has particularly thrived this indoor swing. 

Two players who could potentially challenge Alcaraz in Turin are Shelton and Daniil Medvedev, who will be the third and fourth seeds, respectively. The Spaniard defeated Shelton in the Paris final and Medvedev in the Vienna semi-final, though both still approach this event with better form than most of their competitors. This has undoubtedly been the best year of Shelton’s career while a resurgent Medvedev has returned to the top 10 in 2026, with a recent indoor title in Almaty to his name. The Russian is a former ATP Finals champion and, alongside Zverev, probably has the strongest indoor career of anyone in the field.

Medvedev, Zverev, and Shelton feel like the most likely contenders to challenge Alcaraz, potentially preventing him from lifting a maiden ATP Finals title this year. But, with fresh legs and strong form, it is ultimately hard to see anyone standing in the Spaniard’s way next week.