Carlos Alcaraz bested Alex de Minaur by 7-6(5), 6-2 on Sunday to kick off his Nitto ATP Finals on a winning note. The Spaniard was at his absolute best against the Australian and played some incredible shots to keep the spectators at the edge of their seats.

The top seed is chasing his maiden title at the Nitto ATP finals and he would aim to continue the good show. The six-time Slam champion had to toil hard in the opening set but won the second set comprehensively.

Alcaraz admitted that the ATP finals is one of the most important tournaments on the tour as the top eight players in the world compete with each other.

“This tournament is one of the best tournaments we have on Tour, without a doubt,” Alcaraz said. “We’re playing against the best players in the world, which shows how difficult and important it is. I’ve been struggling in the past few years to come to the end of the year with motivation. This year is a little bit different, which I’m proud about [as] I’m doing the right things to give myself a shot to try and win this tournament.”

Alcaraz raced to 4-1, 40-0 lead but de Minaur was able to bounce back in the opening set. However, the Spaniard had the last laugh as he won in straight sets.

“It was a really difficult match,” said Alcaraz. “On this surface, Alex makes the most of the speed of the ball, he’s super fast and really difficult on return. I’m just really happy to get through this really difficult challenge, and happy with how I’m playing [going into] the next matches.”

With this win, Alcaraz now has a 5-0 record against Alex de Minaur. 

Alcaraz will be next seen in action on Tuesday, when he faces either Taylor Fritz or Lorenzo Musetti in the Jimmy Connors Group.