The Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz19-year-old number 2 in the world, said this Saturday, as part of his participation in the Argentina Open in Buenos Aireswho will continue to take “small leaps” to become “better”, because the best “never stops”.
“I think I can improve everything, at the level of tennis, physically and mentally, and little by little with my team I will take those small steps to be better,” said the 19-year-old from Murcia in a press conference at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club.
After nearly 100 days away from the ATP circuit, Alcaraz will look to regain the reign of the world circuit, which is currently in the hands of the Serbian. Novak Djokovicnew winner in the end australia tomorrow.
Carlos played his last official match at the beginning of November, when he retired in the quarterfinals of Masters 1,000 of Paris-Bercy in the view of Holger Rune due to an abdominal injury that prevented him from playing ATP Finals and the Davis cup.
After several weeks of rest and recovery, at the end of December he played a abu dhabi exhibitionwhich he clearly lost against Andrei Rublev and Casper Ruud a few days before suffering an injury to the semimembranosus muscle in his right leg that forced him to miss the first as well. grand slam of the year, the Australian Open.
“I had a very good year 2022. I reached my goal very quickly, almost in just one year, and I took it as naturally as possible. I was clear that tennis is what I want to do beyond the results, and to get the number 1 you need to set new goals”, said Alcaraz.
These new goals go through “continuous improvement”, asserts Alcaraz, recalling that other great tennis players such as Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer either Novak Djokovic They were already “very good” when they were young, but that didn’t stop them from taking their game even further.
When asked about his abilities as a tennis player, Alcaraz emphasized the “courage” with which he competes and his ability to “always move forward” and “not be afraid” on the court.
“I think it has been fundamental to achieve what I have achieved. Obviously, there are some players that I respect more, but not much. I have always wanted to win, beat them, and I think this ambition is what he made me the best of who I am today,” he said.
In this sense, Alcaraz lives his national and international recognition in a “very natural” way, saying that he continues to “lead a normal life.”
“I am very close to the people and the truth is, on the one hand, I like it, because I also see all the people who are behind me, who cheer every game and support me. In the future I know where I want to be, and it is at home “, Murcian sentence.
The current number 2 in the world is one of the main protagonists of the Argentina Open, a competition that will mark his return to the pitch after the injury he suffered in the first days of the year and which postponed the start of his 2023 season.
Carlos admitted this Saturday that “it will not be easy” to win from Buenos Aires, a tournament that started today in the preliminary phase and will last until February 19.
“This is the first tournament of 2023 and three months have passed since that last game. I always want to win, but I know it won’t be easy,” the 19-year-old from Murcia said at a press conference in Buenos Aires. Lawn Tennis Club, venue that hosts the most important tennis competition in the country in South America.
‘Charly’ Alcaraz, who suffered an injury to the semimembranosus muscle in his right leg on January 4, admitted that it is not easy to “start over” and “get into the rhythm of the competition”, especially against tennis players who have played of different parties.
“It will not be easy, but hey, so I was here many days before, to train with very good players, get that rhythm and gradually improve. It was a very good tournament,” said the Spaniard, winner of five titles last year, including the US Open.
The Murcian arrived in the capital of Argentina accompanied by his brother, his father and his uncle, as well as his colleagues, whom he considers his “family”.
“The time on the court is two or three hours a day, the rest is outside the court and you have to do the things that make you happy so that you can be in the tournament as much as possible. They come to see me play and have fun to me, but also to have that part of the home when I go to tournaments, which is very important”, pointed out Alcaraz.
Alcaraz, exempt from the first round as the tournament’s first favorite, will make his debut in the round of 16 against the winner of the match between Italian Fabio Fognini and Serbian Laslo Djere. If the rounds continue, his theoretical rivals later could be Sebastián Báez (quarterfinals), Diego Schwartzman (semifinals) and Cameron Norrie (final), world number 11 and second seed.
The tournament’s top winners are Argentine Guillermo Vilas, with eight crowns, joined by Spaniards Carlos Moyá and David Ferrer, with three each.
Source: La Verdad
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