But the 25-year-old turned the tables and completed a 6-1, 7-5 win over the four-time Grand Slam champion.

Sky commentator Laura Robson noticed how there was little dialogue between Alcaraz and his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero during the match, which is unusual for the pair.

What was surprising about Carlos Alcaraz and his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero at the ATP Finals?

Carlos Alcaraz was off his game in set one and made under 50% of his first serves in, hitting just six winners while recording 15 unforced errors and converting none of five break points.

He improved in set two and served for it at 5-3, but Ruud broke back and proceeded to win four successive games to win the match as more errors flowed from Alcaraz’s racket.

There is usually plenty of dialogue between Alcaraz and Ferrero during his matches, but there was very little against Ruud in Turin, which Robson found surprising.

“I was sitting right next to Juan Carlos Ferrero and they are usually having a dialogue, none of that,” the 30-year-old said.

“I was questioning towards the end of the match whether he needed something else, but there was nothing between Carlos and his player box. That was surprising to me. It just was not the result we though!

“If you compare the body language of the two player boxes, it was totally different. When Casper broke back in the second set they were standing up and really giving encouragement, making sure he kept the intensity and the footwork going.

“I just feel like that sums up where both players were on the court. You could look at the side and not feel a lot of energy compared to the other side, where they were right in your corner and getting yourself geared up to close out the match. It makes a huge, huge difference.”

Casper Ruud offers explanation for Carlos Alcaraz’s poor performance at the ATP Finals

Casper Ruud was delighted to secure his first career victory against Alcaraz and start his ATP Finals campaign on the right track.

It was a tough loss for Alcaraz who has now suffered back-to-back defeats following his loss to Ugo Humbert at the Paris Masters.

After his latest win, Ruud said Alcaraz was slightly unwell, which may have contributed to his below-par performance.

“It can be a bit tricky. I kind of knew he was maybe dealing with a bit of a cold. I have seen him snuffling around in the area here and always having a tissue for his nose. That’s a sign that physically he won’t be at 100,” Ruud said post match.

“Of course, that’s sad and not good for him but it’s also part of the game. I knew it coming in and I tried to make him play rallies but it’s also not easy because when you know that someone is not 100% you can get stressed and think it’s a good chance to win.

“I just tried to stay in my world and luckily got a good start with a break and kept it and then in the second set I was able to turn it around with good tennis at the end.”

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