Carlos Alcaraz confident of starting next season injury-free

Carlos Alcaraz's big achievement this week was becoming the youngest player to finish a season No. 1 in the rankings, but the bigger question was whether he'll start fully fit again next year.

The 19-year-old, who won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open, withdrew from both the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup Finals with an abdominal injury he suffered at the Paris Masters two weeks ago.

That didn’t stop him from clinching the top spot, which he did when fellow Spaniard and No. 2 Rafael Nadal was eliminated from ATP Finals contention with a second defeat in the round-robin competition.

Alcaraz, who appeared on court to receive a trophy for securing No. 1, said he's recovering rapidly so far.

"I'm really focused on recovering as soon as possible," he told press at Turin. "But I could say in a week we improved a lot in the injury. I'm going to say at the beginning of the season, I'm going to be ready, I'm going to be 100 percent."

Alcaraz's season has included titles at the Miami Open and Madrid Masters, along with 500-level titles at Barcelona and Rio, to add to his Grand Slam victory at the US Open. Though his climb to No. 1 has been made easier by both Nadal and Novak Djokovic playing limited schedules, he has also scored wins against both this season.

"It's an amazing achievement. All the hard work pays off. For me it's incredible to lift this trophy today," Alcaraz said.

His next scheduled event is the Kooyong exhibition, followed by the Australian Open.

Alcaraz started the season No. 32 in the rankings. No player who finished in the top spot had previously started the season below the Top 15 in the rankings.