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«…There will be a lot of pressure on me…», young No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz said of the upcoming 2023 season. in making it as stress-free as possible and having fun in the process.
«I have to enjoy tennis and play my form,» he emphasized when asked how he comes up with brilliant strategies. The 19-year-old is the no. 1 in the world, winning this year’s US Open, but he knows he shouldn’t be exhausted by all the players and just stick with his playing tactics.
Last May at the Madrid Open he defeated Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. He was the only teenager to do such a feat at the same clay event and is brimming with confidence to succeed again. «For the rest of the season… I get to play against the best… I beat them… so it gives me a lot of confidence,» Carlos explained.
But there are many other players that you will need to defeat as well in order to build your repertoire for a successful game. Alcaraz was able to beat Alexander Zverev to clinch the Madrid Open title. Italy’s Jannik Sinner, world no.
The 15th ranked ATP player was able to shut down Alcaraz’s game in the round of 16 of the Croatian Open, leaving Carlos stunned. Cameron Norrie defeated him in Cincinnati and Felix Auger-Aliassime won the title from him at the Swiss Indoors.
Alcaraz suffered an abdominal injury at the Paris Masters against Holger Rune. After the match, he couldn’t stretch or hit his serve, or even hit a decent forehand. The young Spaniard was in no condition to continue the tour and had to withdraw from the ATP Finals and Davis Cup due to injury, but he promises to come back strong for the 2023 season.
He was grateful to receive a trophy at the ATP Nitto Finals that signifies his no. 1 on tour even if he couldn’t play. «To be part of tennis history with many legends, for me it’s an incredible feeling… At the start of the season, I’ll be 100 per cent,» he said with a broad smile.
«All I can do is stay positive and focus on my recovery,» Alcaraz said sadly after missing the big late-season tournaments. Doctors had given Carlito at least 6 weeks to recover, but no one knows how long he will need to be at his peak for the first Grand Slam of the year: the Australian Open.
Playing and beating Best keeps Alcaraz’s game tight, but this may just be the start of staying on top when his other competitors are so dynamic. Taylor Fritz had taken Carlos’ place at the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy.
Both had never met on the competitive court. Fritz has had long winning streaks, churning out titles and is definitely a strong contender for the shy but energetic teenager. The players add up who Carlos has to face and win to continue in the top 5 in the world.
Tommy Paul, David Goffin, Marin Cilic and fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas are the veterans of the game who can pose a threat to Alcaraz’s game. There are also so many younger players who are raising their game and can present the Spaniard with problems on the pitch.
Carlos Alcaraz can sometimes seem modest, but he and his team are well aware that recovering from an abdominal injury, training and returning to top form will be an important goal to achieve for the new 2023 season. Practice makes perfect but there is no nothing like playing a real game, in real time on the competitive field to show everything you have in your professional strategy.
Carlito still has what it takes to be a dominant and superior player, but seeing is believing once he gets back to playing his 100 percent again.
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