The air feels different when Carlos Alcaraz walks onto a tennis court. There’s a quiet inevitability to his game now. Each shot, each sprint, each defiant roar (‘Vamos’) at crucial points is building towards a season that is beginning to look less like a hot streak and more like a generational benchmark.

With his 6-4,6-4 win over Taylor Fritz (shortly after losing to the American at the Laver Cup), Alcaraz has not only become the second-youngest player to claim 24 career titles at the ATP level since the inaugural ATP Tour season in 1990, but he has now officially set a record for himself by crossing the 90% win mark for the season.

Over the century, only nine times has a player managed to finish a season above that holy grail of dominance. The names? A short, sparkling roll call: Roger Federer (4 times), Novak Djokovic (2 times), Rafael Nadal (2 times), and Jannik Sinner did it last year. Carlos Alcaraz has played 74 matches this season, and he has a win-loss record of 67-7 (90.5%).

Why does the number (90%) matter? Because it separates the great from the merely excellent. The Tour is grueling, schedules unforgiving, and even the best falter against lower-ranked opponents in a season that can stretch across eleven months.

This year, Carlos Alcaraz has won a total of eight titles, and that includes both the French Open and the US Open. With his recent final appearance in Tokyo, he touched his ‘idol,’ Rafael  Nadal’s record of nine consecutive finals (in 2013). Can he now surpass Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who had previously reached 17 consecutive finals? 

Time will tell! But where does he stand in the list of players with the highest overall win percentages in their careers?

Ever since turning pro (in 2018), this young lad from Murcia, Spain, has never failed to impress his fans and tennis experts with his sheer brilliance on the court. And, he showed the same zeal against Taylor Fritz during the Japan Open final.

Carlos Alcaraz adds yet another feather to his cap with his recent win against Taylor Fritz

Just nine days after the Laver Cup defeat, Carlos Alcaraz served Taylor Fritz some quick revenge with that straight-sets victory at the Japan Open. With his 24th career tour-level title, the Spaniard has now also tied with Alexander Zverev for the most among men born since 1990.

If we take a look at this match, we saw Fritz struggling a bit, taking two medical timeouts to receive treatment on his left thigh. The American was finding it hard to contain Alcaraz’s trademark firepower in this epic battle. But despite his sheer dominance, Alcaraz didn’t fail to shower praise on Fritz after this win. He said, “First of all, I just want to start with Taylor. Such a great tennis player and athlete. It is always really tough playing against you. Congrats on a great tournament to you and your team for doing a great job, just to be in the position you are.” With that, he also wished him all the best for the rest of the season.

Talking about his own season, Carlos Alcaraz further added, “It’s been my best season so far without a doubt. Eight titles, 10 finals… That shows how hard I’ve worked just to be able to experience these moments and accomplish my goals. I didn’t start the year that good, struggling emotionally, so how I came back from that, I’m just really proud of myself and of all the people around me who have helped me to be in this position.”

Sharing his experience in Tokyo, he joked that he enjoyed every single second apart from the five minutes that he was on the floor after he hurt his ankle in one of the previous matches. But amid all these celebrations, there is some sad news for all the Carlitos fans.

The world number one has now withdrawn from the Shanghai Masters. Carlos Alcaraz has a stunning record at the Masters 1000 events. He has an overall win percentage of around 78.5% (84-23). So, this news is more like a bolt from the blue for his fans.

Alcaraz said, “I’m very disappointed to announce that I won’t be able to play the Rolex Shanghai Masters this year! Unfortunately, I’ve been struggling with some physical issues, and after discussing with my team, we believe the best decision is to rest and recover. I was really looking forward to playing in front of the amazing fans in Shanghai again. I hope to be back soon and see my Chinese fans next year.”

Well, the good news is that Carlos Alcaraz is guaranteed to retain his top spot without hitting a single ball, with Jannik Sinner entering the tournament as the reigning champion. However, the only way the Italian can gain ground on the Spaniard is if he wins both the China Open and the Shanghai Masters titles. If he wins both, he would bet at 10,950 points, i.e., just 390 points behind Alcaraz in the post-Shanghai rankings. This will make the year-end battle for the world number one spot more interesting. Can Alcaraz finish the year as the world number one?

Written by

Sayantan Roy

Sayantan Roy is a seasoned tennis journalist at EssentiallySports. He brings a deep tactical understanding to his coverage, breaking down head-to-head records, match dynamics, and on-court strategies with precision. For more than two years, Sayantan has been a key member of the Live Events desk, delivering real-time insights and data-backed predictions for the platform’s Matchday Preview section. His analytical approach has sparked editorial debates and drawn recognition from respected tennis voices, including commentator and analyst Olly_Tennis. Combining his experience in writing with a passion for insightful sports journalism, Sayantan’s work serves as a trusted reference point for tennis fans around the world.

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