Alcaraz struggles with stomach issue in loss to Ruud at ATP Finals and Zverev beats Rublev

TURIN, Italy (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz struggled with a stomach issue and looked far from the player who won two Grand Slams this year while losing to Casper Ruud 6-1, 7-5 at the ATP Finals on Monday.

It marked Ruud’s first victory over Alcaraz in five career meetings, and the result could make it difficult for Alcaraz to advance from the round-robin stage at the season-ending event for the top eight players.

“I didn’t feel well on court,” Alcaraz said. “A few days before coming here, I got sick at home. ... This morning, I feel uncomfortable in the stomach.”

In the same group, Alexander Zverev began his bid for a third ATP Finals title by beating Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4.

The top two finishers from each group advance to the semifinals.

On Sunday, top-ranked Jannik Sinner and U.S. Open finalist Taylor Fritz beat Alex de Minaur and Daniil Medvedev, respectively, in the other group.

Alcaraz won the French Open and Wimbledon to boost his career total to four Grand Slam titles. But he also struggled at the Paris Masters recently and dropped behind Zverev to No. 3 in the rankings this week.

“I have no experience playing on indoor courts,” Alcaraz said. “I’ll be a really good player on indoor courts, I’m sure about it. But I think it’s about time, about getting experience. ... A lot of players are better than me on indoor court.”

Ruud reached the 2021 semifinals and 2022 final in his first two appearances at the finals. But he has struggled recently, too, losing his first or second match in his last seven events.

“I’m not full of confidence,” Ruud said. “A match like today might be able to change it.”

Alcaraz was broken when he served for the second set at 5-4.

Alcaraz led 25-16 in winners but committed 26 unforced errors to Ruud’s 10.

Ruud converted all four of his break points while Alcaraz was just one of six in that category.

“I’m tired mentally," Alcaraz said. "Obviously a lot of matches, really tight schedule, really demanding year with not too many days off.”

Zverev, who won the finals in 2018 in London and 2021 in Turin, extended his winning streak to six matches following a title run at the Paris Masters.

Rublev is making his fifth consecutive appearance at the finals but hasn’t won a match at the event since 2022.

Zverev served nine aces and dropped only 10 points on his serve in 10 service games.

“He served wide 220 (kph) on the deuce side,” Rublev said. "Normally everybody serves slice and it’s 190. He find(s) a way to serve 220 wide on the deuce side. It’s not easy.

“Even if you catch the direction, when the flat serve comes 227, slice serve comes 219, 215, it’s tough to just see the ball.”

Before the Zverev-Rublev match, Sinnner received the trophy for finishing the year at No. 1 in the rankings.

“There’s no place better to celebrate this trophy,” Sinner said as his mom, Siglinde, looked on in tears. “Thanks for all of your support.”

Sinner is playing at home for the first time since it was announced before his U.S. Open title that he tested positive in two separate drug tests this year.

A decision to clear Sinner of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency in September. A final ruling in the case is expected early next year.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Russia's Andrey Rublev makes a return to Germany's Alexander Zverev at the ATP Finals tennis tournament in Turin, Italy, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

Russia's Andrey Rublev serves to Germany's Alexander Zverev at the ATP Finals tennis tournament in Turin, Italy, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

Italy's Jannik Sinner holds the trophy as ATP world best player at the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. Sinner was presented with the trophy for finishing the year ranked No. 1. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Germany's Alexander Zverev celebrates after winning the singles tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals against Russia's Andrey Rublev, at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Italy's Jannik Sinner holds the trophy as ATP world best player at the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. Sinner was presented with the trophy for finishing the year ranked No. 1. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz waves his fans at the end of the singles tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals against Norway's Casper Ruud, at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

CORRECT NATIONALITY OF PLAYER RUUD Norway's Casper Ruud returns the ball to Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during their singles tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

CORRECT NATIONALITY OF PLAYER RUUD Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Norway's Casper Ruud during their singles tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

CORRECT NATIONALITY OF PLAYER RUUD Norway's Casper Ruud returns the ball to Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during their singles tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

CORRECT NATIONALITY OF PLAYER RUUD Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Norway's Casper Ruud during their singles tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Norway's Casper Ruud during their singles tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

CORRECT NATIONALITY OF PLAYER Norway's Casper Ruud celebrates after winning the singles tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

CORRECT NATIONALITY OF PLAYER RUUD Spain's Carlos Alcaraz reacts during the singles tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals agains Norway's Casper Ruud, at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Denmark's Casper Ruud during their singles tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Denmark's Casper Ruud during their singles tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Denmark's Casper Ruud returns the ball to Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during their singles tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Denmark's Casper Ruud during their singles tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin topped $100,000 for the first time as a massive rally in the world's most popular cryptocurrency, largely accelerated by the election of Donald Trump, rolls on.

The cryptocurrency officially to rose six figures Wednesday night, just hours after the president-elect said he intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to be the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Bitcoin has soared since Trump won the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5. The asset climbed from $69,374 on Election Day, hitting as high as $103,713 Wednesday, according to CoinDesk. And the latest all-time high arrives just two years after bitcoin dropped below $17,000 following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX.

Bitcoin fell below $102,000 by midday Thursday, but its price is still up nearly 7% over the last day. Even amid a massive rally that has more than doubled the value of bitcoin this year, some experts continue to warn of investment risks around the asset, which has quite a volatile history.

Here’s what you need to know.

Cryptocurrency has been around for a while now. But chances are you’ve heard about it more and more over the last few years.

In basic terms, cryptocurrency is digital money. This kind of currency is designed to work through an online network without a central authority — meaning it’s typically not backed by any government or banking institution — and transactions get recorded with technology called a blockchain.

Bitcoin is the largest and oldest cryptocurrency, although other assets like ethereum, XRP, tether and dogecoin have also gained popularity over the years. Some investors see cryptocurrency as a “digital alternative” to traditional money, but the large majority of daily financial transactions are still conducted using fiat currencies such as the dollar. Also, bitcoin can be very volatile, with its price reliant on larger market conditions.

A lot of the recent action has to do with the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.

Trump, who was once a crypto skeptic, has pledged to make the U.S. “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. His campaign accepted donations in cryptocurrency and he courted fans at a bitcoin conference in July. He also launched World Liberty Financial, a new venture with family members to trade cryptocurrencies.

On Thursday morning, hours after bitcoin surpassed the $100,000 mark, Trump congratulated “BITCOINERS” on his social media platform Truth Social. He also appeared to take credit for the recent rally, writing, “YOU’RE WELCOME!!!”

Top crypto players welcomed Trump’s election victory last month, in hopes that he would be able to push through legislative and regulatory changes that they’ve long lobbied for — which, generally speaking, aim for an increased sense of legitimacy without too much red tape.

Trump made a move in that direction Wednesday when he said he intends to nominate Atkins to chair the SEC. Atkins was an SEC commissioner during the presidency of George W. Bush. In the years since leaving the agency, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. He joined the Token Alliance, a cryptocurrency advocacy organization, in 2017.

Under current chair Gary Gensler, who will step down when Trump takes office, the SEC has cracked down on the crypto industry — penalizing a number of companies for violating securities laws. Gensler has also faced ample criticism from industry players in the process.

One crypto-friendly move the SEC did make under Gensler was the approval in January of spot bitcoin ETFs, or exchange trade funds, which allow investors to have a stake in bitcoin without directly buying it. The spot ETFs were the dominant driver of bitcoin's price before Trump's win — but, like much of the crypto’s recent momentum, saw record inflows postelection.

Bitcoin surpassing the coveted $100,000 mark has left much of the crypto world buzzing.

“What we’re seeing isn’t just a rally — it’s a fundamental transformation of bitcoin’s place in the financial system,” Nathan McCauley, CEO and co-founder of crypto custodian Anchorage Digital, said in a statement — while pointing to the growth of who's entering the market, particularly with rising institutional adoption.

Still, others note that the new heights of bitcoin's price don't necessarily mean the asset is going mainstream. The $100,000 level is “merely a psychological factor and ultimately just a number,” Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at British investment company AJ Bell, wrote in a Thursday commentary.

That being said, bitcoin could keep climbing to more and more all-time highs — particularly if Trump makes good on his promises for more crypto-friendly regulation once in office. If Trump actually makes a bitcoin reserve, for example, supply changes could also propel the price forward.

Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is never promised. Worldwide regulatory uncertainties and environmental concerns around bitcoin “mining" — the creation of new bitcoin, which consumes a lot of energy — are among factors that analysts like Coatsworth note could hamper future growth. And, as still a relatively-young asset with a history of volatility, longer-term adoption has yet to be seen through.

Today's excitement around bitcoin may make many who aren't already in the space want to get in on the action, but experts continue to stress caution around crypto “FOMO," or the fear of missing out, especially for small-pocketed investors.

“A lot of people have got rich from the cryptocurrency soaring in value this year, but this high-risk asset isn’t suitable for everyone,” Coatsworth noted Thursday. “It’s volatile, unpredictable and is driven by speculation, none of which makes for a sleep-at-night investment.”

In short, history shows you can lose money in crypto as quickly as you’ve made it. Long-term price behavior relies on larger market conditions. Trading continues at all hours, every day.

Coatsworth points to recent research from the Bank for International Settlements, a Switzerland-based global organization of central banks, which found that about three-quarters of retail buyers on crypto exchange apps likely lost money on their bitcoin investments between 2015 and 2022.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, bitcoin stood at just over $5,000. Its price climbed to nearly $69,000 by November 2021, during high demand for technology assets, but later crashed during an aggressive series of rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. And the late-2022 collapse of FTX significantly undermined confidence in crypto overall, with bitcoin falling below $17,000.

Investors began returning in large numbers as inflation started to cool — and gains skyrocketed on the anticipation and then early success of spot ETFs, and again, now the post-election frenzy. But lighter regulation from the coming Trump administration could also mean less guardrails.

“I would say, keep it simple. And don’t take on more risk than you can afford to,” Adam Morgan McCarthy, a research analyst at Kaiko, previously told The Associated Press — adding that there isn’t a “magic eight ball” to know for certain what comes next.

This story has been corrected to refer to Anchorage Digital as a crypto custodian, not a crypto asset manager.

FILE - Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference July 27, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

FILE - Bitcoin logos are displayed at the Inside Bitcoins conference and trade show on April 7, 2014, in New York. Bitcoin has topped the $100,000 mark. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

FILE - Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

FILE - Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)