Former seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander thinks Carlos Alcaraz could also be coping with one thing that troubled Nick Kyrgios prior to now because the 20-year-old Spaniard has set a sure normal within the leisure space and a few folks not solely count on him to win however to additionally ship a present on the market.
Alcaraz, who can be turning 21 in Might, received his first Grand Slam and reached the world No. 1 spot when he was simply 19 in 2022 earlier than successful six out of his 10 tournaments performed in 2023. After successful Wimbledon for his second Grand Slam title, Alcaraz stunningly misplaced himself and did not win a single title within the the rest of the yr.
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That streak continued at the beginning of the 2024 season earlier than Alcaraz lastly ended his eight-month title drought on the Indian Wells Masters. After Indian Wells, Alcaraz hoped to additionally make a robust Miami Masters run bit his marketing campaign there ended with a shock and disappointing quarterfinal defeat to Grigor Dimitrov.
“Carlos Alcaraz is coping with one thing that perhaps Nick Kyrgios needed to cope with at occasions, which is persons are anticipating extra of Carlos Alcaraz than simply successful tennis matches,” Wilander advised Eurosport.
“They’re anticipating him to hit nice photographs, to make these unbelievable saves defensively after which flip it round.
“I feel for him, it may be fairly tiring all through a complete profession to all the time really feel like not solely does he must win, however he does really feel like I’ve to carry out within the leisure half.
“I feel falling out of the highest two, it is likely slightly little bit of a reduction.”
Alcaraz’s admission after his Indian Wells win
After going 10 straight tournaments with out successful a title, Alcaraz’s thirteenth title lastly got here in Indian Wells, the place he was the defending champion. Shortly after clinching his second Indian Wells title, Alcaraz received fairly candid about the way it felt to lastly win one as he used the phrase “troublesome” to explain months after Wimbledon and he additionally admitted that he reached a degree the place enjoying tennis was beginning to not really feel gratifying anymore.
“Nicely, yeah. It is troublesome to place it into phrases, as a result of I had actually troublesome months. For instance the final two months it was troublesome for me to search out myself. I did not take pleasure in, for example, stepping on the court docket. I wasn’t myself on the court docket the final two months, for example, two months, three months, so it was troublesome for me,” Alcaraz stated after ending his title drought in Indian Wells.
“Yeah, it means quite a bit to me, lifting this trophy, successful this event, as a result of I overcome numerous issues in my head, numerous issues bodily. It was so particular for that. Not that I did not win a event since Wimbledon.
“For me, it does not matter. It is in regards to the emotions, as I stated. For me, if I win tournaments or not, I do not care. It is about having fun with enjoying tennis, as soon as I step on the court docket, placing my sport. It is what solely issues.
“That is why I am actually, actually completely satisfied to carry this trophy, as a result of I discovered myself at this event, and I felt actually, actually good.”
Alcaraz suffers a setback, pressured to overlook the Monte Carlo Masters
This week, Alcaraz was slated to launch his clay season on the Monte Carlo Masters.
Over the weekend, Alcaraz’s forearm was pictured being taped and it was reported that the Spanish tennis star ended his observe early. That immediately raised considerations and frightened his followers that he might withdraw from Monte Carlo.
On Tuesday, precisely that occurred as Alcaraz introduced that regardless of his efforts, he wouldn’t have the ability to play on the clay courts of Monte Carlo.
“I’ve been working in Monte Carlo and making an attempt to get well till the final minute from an injured pronator teres in my proper arm, however it was not potential and I can’t play. I used to be actually trying ahead to enjoying. See you subsequent yr!” Alcaraz introduced on X on Tuesday.
Up to now in his profession, Alcaraz has surprisingly performed only one match in Monte Carlo. In 2022, Alcaraz had a first-round bye in his Monte Carlo debut earlier than dropping to Sebastian Korda within the second spherical.
Final yr, Alcaraz pulled out of Monte Carlo on account of an damage. This yr, the identical occurred.
Now, Alcaraz’s focus is on recovering from his arm subject and with the ability to play at subsequent week’s Barcelona Open.
