TURIN: Carlos Alcaraz was full of smiles as he lifted the trophy for the year-end No. 1 tennis player on Friday.
After a scintillating tussle with Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz secured the ranking on Thursday by sealing a sweep of his three group-stage matches at the ATP Finals.
The 22-year-old Spaniard was presented with the trophy at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, shortly before Sinner's match against Ben Shelton.
"It's a great pleasure for me to be No. 1 in the world again," Alcaraz said. "It's something that I'm working really hard for, with my team every day. It is a goal, to be honest, but I think it is a journey that you're not going through alone.
"It's with your whole team, with your family, with your close people behind you, always supporting you, in the tough and in the good moments."
It is the second time in his career that Alcaraz has ended the year at the top of the rankings.
He became the youngest player to finish a year at No. 1 when he achieved the feat as a 19-year-old in 2022.
"Having this trophy once again, the first one back in 2022, I have the same team. I'm still really proud of the team that I have right now," Alcaraz added.
"So for me, it's a great achievement. It means the world to me, to be honest, and I'm just really proud and happy."