Carlos Alcaraz acknowledged his preference at playing Lorenzo Musetti at this year's ATP Finals, rather than the withdrawn Novak Djokovic.

The Spaniard is looking to triumph at the year-ending event for the first time, and his latest quest began with a straight-sets victory over Alex De Minaur on Sunday.

Alcaraz will also play Taylor Fritz in the Jimmy Connors Group, as well as Musetti, who was a late replacement after Djokovic pulled out of the tournament with a shoulder injury.

"I'm not going to lie, I prefer Lorenzo over Djokovic in my group," the world number two said. "It is always difficult to face Novak here, because of the experience he has and his level on these courts. 

First W on the board

Top seed @carlosalcaraz extends his head-to-head record over De Minaur to 5-0!#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/kJ7gG0FtQC

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 9, 2025

"I lost to him in the 2023 semi-finals, and I think he played well, and he killed me. 

"It is clear that if Musetti is in Turin, it is because he deserves it. Let's see how he adapts because he comes from playing in Athens, and he hasn't been able to feel the court."

Not only would victory at the tournament add another trophy to Alcaraz's collection, but he would also reclaim top spot in the ATP rankings from rival Jannik Sinner.

That has given the Spaniard a fresh outlook coming into this year's event.

"I've been struggling in the past three years to come to the end of the year with energy and motivation," he added. "This year is a little bit different.

"I'm really proud of the way I've been doing things to come here with motivation. I'm really excited and looking forward to playing great tennis, and giving myself a shot to try to win this tournament."