Alcaraz explained the key to his success: “So now I’m playing at a good level”

Next stop: Miami, Carlos Alcaraz is already in Floridawhere on Friday (he will enter the second round) he will begin the defense of his championship title at the Miami Open, the second Masters 1000 of the season.

The world number 1 arrived without feeling “too much pressure” being the reigning champion and making sure on Tuesday that he knows what he has to do, play “relaxed”.

“I don’t have much pressure, I know what I have to do. I have to play relaxed and not focus on if I’m losing or playing well. My goal is always the same, to be comfortable on the track.“, Alcaraz affirmed in his first press conference in Miami.

“I want to enjoy tennis and try to think positively when I play. That’s why now I’m playing at a good level. I enjoy every second and play relaxed,” he added.

Alcaraz arrives in Miami after winning the fourth Masters 1,000 of his career at Indian Wellswith an exhibition against the Russian Daniil Medvedev that also returned him the first position in the world ranking.

To maintain leadership in the ranking, Alcaraz, 19, must be confirmed as champion in Miami. If he does not do so, the Serbian Novak Djokovic, absent because of his refusal to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, will take back the scepter.

The Murcian is experiencing a good moment of form and showed very good tennis in Indian Wells. however, He emphasized that there is room for improvement.

“I always say that I can improve a little on everything. You have to improve, to be better every day. This is what great players, for example the ‘big 3’ (Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic), have done in their careers. Improve a little every day“, said.

Carlos Alcaraz played 49 official ATP Tour matches in his first full season on the major professional tour. They won 32 and lost 17 in 2021. A statistic that improved on its last hatch, in 2022, winning 57 of 70 games played. It would have been more had he not injured himself in the stomach during the quarterfinals of Paris-Bercy.

Caused withdrawal from ATP Finals in Turina ‘masters’ tournament where he had to make his debut, and the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.

A physical accident, to the hamstring of his right leg, aborted his trip to Australiawhere he planned to play an exhibition as the only filming before facing the Australian Open.

He did not start this campaign until February, adding the ATP 250 in Buenos Aires to his scheduled calendar, where he reappeared after 502 days without official competition, declaring himself champion. The ATP 500 in Rio was on his roadmap, where he re-injured his right hamstring in the final against Britain’s Cameron Norrie.

This was his only failure, and since he played two sets it was almost lame. He won the other 14 matches, including six en route to victory at the Indian Wells ATP Masters 1000, reclaiming the world number one, where he opens his 21st week in the ranking leadership.

In the California desert, the transition from clay to hard court took placeonce withdrew from the Acapulco ATP 500 because he had to take a week off to recover from a hamstring strain.

With almost no rest, I move from the West to the East of the United States. From Indian Wells to the Miami ATP Masters 1000, where he will debut on Friday the 24th against the winner of the duel between Facundo Bagnis and Felipe Meligeni.

Then back home, to El Palmar in Murcia. And to work immediately at the academy of his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero in Villena (Alicante), his second residence. Because European clay comes out of the blue, it’s more demanding than ever for trophy hunters.

From April 9 to 16, Monte Carlo. And Godó (April 17-23), Madrid (April 26-May 7) and Rome (May 10-21) are chained. The Madrid and Italian tournaments are extending their duration, although another round is growing for the favourites. If before the title came after five victories, now a sixth is required, as in Indian Wells and Miami. Pictures of 96 and not 56 like before.

Alcaraz, after conquering Godó and Madrid, did not go to Rome last year. Command of Roland Garros, now more than ever because he is ready to attack the title. He was a quarterfinalist in 2022, losing to German Alexander Zverev.

To his grass agenda, he added the Queen’s ATP 500 in 2023 as a springboard to Wimbledon, from July 3 to 16.

It won’t return to the ground for the summer, but it does introduce the new Hopman Cupon the hard court in Nice, forming a duo with Paula Badosa from July 19 to 23.

Then, the North American tour that will pass through Toronto (August 7-13), Cincinnati (August 13-20) and the US Open, from August 28 to September 9, in New York, in his first defense of a Grand Slam.

It is up in the air whether the ATP Tour will keep the appointment in Shanghai (China), October 4-15. This will condition Alcaraz’s path to the Masters 1000 ATP in Paris-Bercy (October 30-November 5) and the ATP Finals in Turin, from November 12 to 19.

There will also be space for the Davis Cup with the first date in Valencia from September 12 to 17, just after the US Open. If the team now captained by David Ferrer makes it through the group stage, they will fight for the salad bowl in Malaga, from November 21 to 26.