Statement made: Carlos Alcaraz sends Alexander Zverev warning with dramatic ATP Finals practice comeback

Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev are the two big favourites for glory at the ATP Finals, and they are already trading blows against each other in a lengthy practice match. Both the set and super tiebreak went to Alcaraz, sending out a statement to his biggest rival.

The 23-year-old goes into the tournament in blistering form. He is yet to lose an indoor hardcourt match this year, winning the Vienna Open and Paris Masters titles while also helping Team Europe storm to glory in London soon after his return to the sport.

He is the favourite for the title in Turin but could face stern resistance against Zverev. The German has won two Grand Slam titles this season and ended as the World No.1 in the rankings and the race to Turin.

He has been stunning this year, but his brilliant season has been helped by the fact that Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have missed periods of it through injury. Now, he has Alcaraz to contend with for a third ATP Finals title, an opponent he has not had the best of luck against in recent times.

With the event starting on Sunday, the players are trying to get in their final practice sessions to get them in the perfect position ahead of their title charge in Italy.

Watched on by numerous journalists and onlookers, the practice set went the distance with a tiebreak needed to split the duo. Zverev was the player on top, leading 6-2 at one point as he looked to send out a warning to Alcaraz.

However, he squandered every opportunity that he had, and the seven-time Grand Slam champion won six consecutive points to win it 8-6. It was an extremely dramatic contest, and a satisfying one for Alcaraz.

Following that, they competed in a super tiebreak. These go all the way to 10 points, but this particular one surpassed that tally by some distance, as both players consistently failed to get over the line. According to Alcaraz's coach, Samuel Lopez, it lasted for a whopping 18 minutes.

Alcaraz managed to sew it up, with Zverev's frustrations clear. He chucked his racket towards his seated area, picturing a frustrated figure. While it was just a practice session, it was also a huge boost for Alcaraz and a major dent for Zverev, who is seemingly on the back foot before this tournament has even begun.

It is fair to say that Alcaraz got a slightly easier group than Zverev, or at least on paper. Both players are heavily favoured to top their groups, but they will be competing among the eight best players in the wirld in 2026.

Alcaraz has Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli and Frances Tiafoe in his group. Medvedev comes into this tournament with some momentum behind him after a positive Asian swing, but he did lose to Alcaraz in a tight contest recently in Vienna. He was also the first player to beat the World No.3 this year, coming back at Indian Wells.

Cobolli and Tiaofe will also be huge threats, but their form has not been great heading into their debut ATP Finals campaign.

For Zverev, he has to deal with Ben Shelton, Arthur Fils and Rafael Jodar. That is an incredibly tricky set of fixtures. The headline fixture has to be the rematch of the US Open final. Zverev posed a very high level in that match against Shelton, but the American will have Juan Carlos Ferrero in his camp and after his Paris Masters final run, he will be a tricky competitor to face.

Fils and Jodar are the other two debutants, but following terrific years will be a force to be reckoned with. It could prove to be a very unpredictable group, but Zverev will be confident that he can come out on top.