"Going to bed at 11 pm is not the same as going to bed at 2 am" - Carlos Alcaraz makes feelings clear on his ATP Finals SF schedule

Carlos Alcaraz is scheduled to play the second semifinal at the 2025 ATP Finals on Saturday. He will face either Alexander Zverev or Felix Auger-Aliassime, with the match slated to begin at 8.30 pm local time. If he gets through his last-four clash, he will have to return to the court the following day for the final at 6 pm.

The Spaniard believes the short turnaround could jeopardize his chances of being at his best for the final. The newly crowned year-end World No. 1 suggested that if he progresses to the final, going to bed late on Saturday may have a detrimental effect on his chances of a maiden ATP Finals triumph.

"Obviously, the less recovery time you have, the worse it is," Alcaraz was quoted as saying by Marca. "I'm not saying it's a huge handicap, but it's not the same to finish at 11:30 or 12 and go to bed at 2 as it is to go to bed at 11 and do everything much earlier. Recovery time and rest time greatly influence whether you're in good enough shape, or in better shape, for Sunday."

The other semifinal between Jannik Sinner and Alex de Minaur will be played at 2.30 pm, giving the winner a lot more time to recover before the title clash.

The issue stems from the fact that Zverev and Auger-Aliassime's final round-robin clash was allotted Friday's 8:30 pm slot, being the second match of the day following the conclusion of the dead-rubber between Sinner and Ben Shelton.

This has resulted in Carlos Alcaraz's semifinal against either Zverev or Auger-Aliassime being pushed to the late start on Saturday, with Sinner's last-four encounter against Alex de Minaur set to be the first match on the same day.

Carlos Alcaraz was perfect in the round robin stage at the ATP Finals

Carlos Alcaraz during his third Round Robin phase match at the 2025 ATP Finals against Lorenzo Musetti (not in picture) (Source: Getty)

Carlos Alcaraz began his 2025 ATP Finals campaign against the speedy Alex de Minaur. While the Australian did his best to keep pace with Alcaraz, particularly in the first set, ultimately, it was the Spaniard who came out on top with a 7-6(5), 6-2 win.

The six-time Major champion faced a far sterner test in his next match against Taylor Fritz. The American clinched the first set 7-6(2), but Alcaraz held his nerve to win the next two sets 7-5 and 6-3.

In his final round robin outing against Lorenzo Musetti, Alcaraz produced a dominant display to defeat the Italian 6-4, 6-1. The victory ensured the Spaniard's second consecutive year-end World No. 1 finish, having previously achieved the feat in 2022.