Carlos Alcaraz was eradicated within the spherical of 16 on the 2024 Rolex Paris Masters, confirming that he doesn’t have an excellent feeling with this event. The previous world number one reached the quarterfinals in 2022 as finest end result within the final Masters 1000 of the season and has by no means expressed his finest tennis in these circumstances, as he himself had admitted in latest days.
The younger Spanish champion was defeated by native idol Ugo Humbert on the finish of a really spectacular battle, even when the world quantity 2 actually began to play solely from the second set. The French participant – who was supported by his followers and will play with out an excessive amount of stress – made a distinction within the decisive second of the third set and completely exploited the quite a few free errors of his opponent.
Carlitos – who had already not shone in his debut in opposition to Nicolas Jarry – appeared removed from his finest kind and confirmed that he was not relaxed on very quick surfaces (as seen in Cincinnati this summer season). The four-time Grand Slam champion will quickly attain Turin to get used to the circumstances and be prepared for the beginning of the Nitto ATP Finals, by which he misplaced final 12 months in opposition to Novak Djokovic within the semifinals.
A nasty KO
As a result of his untimely elimination in Paris-Bercy, the Spanish ace might be overtaken by German Alexander Zverev in second place within the ATP rating. It will be a giant drawback for Alcaraz, who could must face his nice rival Jannik Sinner already within the group stage on the ATP Finals in Turin.
To overhaul Carlitos within the ATP rating, the German champion should attain not less than the ultimate within the Masters 1000 in Paris-Bercy. Sascha will face Stefanos Tsitsipas right this moment within the quarterfinals, whereas within the semi-finals he would face the winner of the match between Holger Rune and Alex de Minaur.
Already after his first match in opposition to Jarry in Bercy, Alcaraz had complained lots concerning the extreme pace of those courts. “After I performed the primary match, the stats got here out that it’s the quickest court docket within the Masters 1000, in all probability on the tour proper now,” the Spaniard stated in his press convention. “That is loopy. I do not know. Most likely and the quickest one, you understand, within the final ten years on this event.
I do not know why they do it. I do not know why they’ve modified lots, you understand, a court docket from different tournaments and clearly in the identical event, you understand, evaluating to different years. So it shock me just a little bit, so I got here right here with not too many days. Most likely I needed to come earlier to get used to those circumstances however I did not. However, you understand, truthfully all I can say is I do not perceive why they did it.”
The previous world No.1 praised Humbert for his efficiency: “Nicely, not indoor courts. This court docket. I imply, I do not wish to say one thing that there’s going to sounds an excuse. You realize, to begin with, Ugo deserves to win, that is apparent. But it surely relies upon. As a result of I play, for instance, the Davis Cup indoor court docket, and the court docket was manner slower than this one.”
Too many ups and downs
This defeat in Paris-Bercy confirms that the 2024 of Alcaraz was characterised by a number of ups and downs. A season with two Grand Slam titles and a Masters 1000, plus the silver medal on the Paris Olympics, can by no means be thought-about unfavorable, however the Spanish ace should have extra consistency to method Sinner within the ATP rating.
Carlos’ subsequent objectives would be the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin and the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, the place he’ll attempt to shut a 12 months that’s nonetheless wonderful. As he had already identified in the course of the event in Cincinnati this summer season, the quantity 2 of the world doesn’t prefer to play in circumstances too quick having no time to set its variations and his modifications of tempo from the baseline.
“It’s actually quick for me. Actually, it is determined by the participant, you understand there are some gamers who like this pace,” the Spaniard defined in an interview with Tennis TV. “However I feel it must be just a little bit slower, only for the event, the folks — there’s gonna be extra rallies, extra tennis to look at. However yeah, we’re tennis gamers, each week is totally different, you understand, totally different circumstances, totally different courts, totally different balls. We have now to get used to it, however in some unspecified time in the future it must be totally different, it must be higher. However you understand, we will’t do nothing about it” – he concluded.
