Alcaraz’s ATP debut: History repeats itself, or just a rookie tradition?

Carlos Alcaraz did not get the start he wanted at the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin. Alexander Zverev prevailed in the Spaniard's debut clash at the tournament, fighting back to win the match 7-6(3), 3-6, 4-6.

Although Alcaraz looked much better on the court at the 2023 ATP Finals compared to his last few games, which included a first-round loss to Roman Safiullin at the Paris Masters, the 20-year-old has now suffered his third consecutive defeat. The last time he lost three consecutive matches was in March 2021, more than two and a half years ago.

Even so, this is not the most curious fact about his defeat to Zverev, despite it also being shocking given the generally successful year that Alcaraz has achieved in 2023. As Bastien Fachan pointed out on X (formerly known as Twitter), the debut of Carlos Alcaraz in the ATP Finals is similar to that of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

In 2006, Nadal made his ATP Finals debut at the age of 20 and lost his first match against American James Blake 6-4, 7-6(0). In 2007, Djokovic participated in his first ATP Finals also at the age of 20 and also lost his first match, this time against the Spaniard David Ferrer 6-4, 6-4. Finally, as it is already known, Alcaraz was not able to defeat Zverev in his Finals debut.

This strange statistic sparked a lot of interest among fans on social media. "This is comforting, but I am just enjoying the style of the game, though losing is hurting. I used to cheer for Sasha, but now I like Carlos game better [because] of how he plays," commented one.

Although Nadal is absent from this year's ATP Finals after spending most of the season recovering from surgery, Djokovic is aiming to defend his title in Turin. The Serbian player overcame a three-set battle against Holger Rune in his first match and will face home player Jannik Sinner next.