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Carlos Alcaraz got his ATP Finals campaign off to the perfect start earlier today, as he breezed past Alex de Minaur in straight sets.

However, it was not all plain sailing for the Spaniard, who had to dig really deep to secure the crucial first set which put him on the path to victory.

Once he had stolen it from De Minaur’s grasp, the result then felt like a foregone conclusion, breezing through the second set with a 6-1 scoreline.

Despite the seeming ease of the match, Carlos Alcaraz did admit that he was left somewhat surprised by the conditions of the courts in Turin.

Carlos Alcaraz delivers his honest verdict on the conditions at the ATP Finals

Speaking to the press after his win, he was asked to elaborate on his thoughts, comparing the speed of them to the Paris Masters courts.

Alcaraz gave his frank assessment, also using the opportunity to praise De Minaur in the process: “No, it’s because Alex is super fast (smiling). That’s why it’s really difficult playing against Alex because his speed. You have to win the point three, four times every time.

“The speed of the court at the beginning of the week was quite good. A little bit faster than Paris. But after every day, I think after every practice, a lot of practices, points… On the centre court, I think as much as you use the centre court, the faster it gets.

“I found it today faster, much faster than Paris, which I had to adapt myself, I had to get used to it. To be honest, I think I like it.

“It’s quite surprising how it can change in just one week, the speed of the court.”

It feels like, despite his apparent confusion with the conditions, his competitors still fear him. Taylor Fritz recently admitted there’s one thing he simply can’t do against Alcaraz, no matter how hard he tries.

Carlos Alcaraz edges closer to claiming the year-end world number one spot

With this win over De Minaur, Alcaraz has taken a huge step towards putting the year-end world number one spot beyond Jannik Sinner’s reach.

At this moment in time, the Italian is solely reliant on the performance of his generational rival, needing him to win no more than two matches at the ATP Finals.

Photo by Tullio Puglia/Getty Images

Then, even if this should occur, Sinner needs to enjoy a near-flawless tournament too and defend his title.

But, with Novak Djokovic having pulled out of the ATP Finals, replaced by Lorenzo Musetti, it does feel like Alcaraz’s chances of winning this group undefeated have skyrocketed.