Alcaraz's ATP Finals hopes in jeopardy after loss to Zverev

Frustration boils over as Alcaraz's title defense falters

Carlos Alcaraz's bid to defend his ATP Finals crown suffered a major blow on Monday as he was stunned by Alexander Zverev in straight sets, leaving his hopes of reaching the semifinals hanging by a thread.

The 19-year-old Spaniard, who became the youngest year-end world number one in history last month, looked out of sorts from the outset and was unable to match the power and precision of his German opponent.

Zverev, who is making his first appearance at the ATP Finals since 2021, was in impressive form and broke Alcaraz's serve twice in each set to secure a 6-3, 6-4 victory in just 80 minutes.

The defeat leaves Alcaraz with a 0-2 record in the Red Group and needing to win his final match against Casper Ruud on Wednesday to have any chance of progressing to the last four.

Zverev dominant from the start

Zverev was in control of the match from the very first game, breaking Alcaraz's serve to love and then holding his own serve to take an early 2-0 lead.

Alcaraz showed some signs of fight, breaking back in the fourth game, but Zverev responded immediately by breaking again in the sixth game to move 4-2 ahead.

The German then served out the set to love, putting Alcaraz under even more pressure in the second set.

Alcaraz struggles to find his rhythm

Alcaraz, who has struggled with injuries in recent months, looked sluggish and out of sorts throughout the match.

He was unable to find his usual rhythm on serve, hitting just 56% of his first serves in, and was also struggling to find his range from the baseline.

Zverev, on the other hand, was solid from the back of the court and was able to dictate the pace of the match with his powerful groundstrokes.

Alcaraz's frustrations boil over

As the match slipped away from him, Alcaraz's frustrations began to boil over.

He was seen arguing with his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and was also given a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct after smashing his racquet in anger.

It was a rare display of petulance from the usually composed Alcaraz, who is known for his maturity and professionalism.

Alcaraz faces must-win match against Ruud

Alcaraz now faces a must-win match against Casper Ruud on Wednesday if he wants to have any chance of reaching the semifinals.

The Norwegian is also 0-2 in the Red Group after losing to Taylor Fritz in his opening match.

Alcaraz will need to produce a much better performance if he wants to beat Ruud and keep his title defense alive.