The crossroads of Alcaraz after the collapse of Roland Garros

“You have to see what happened, what we are doing wrong and what we can improve. We are going very screwed, the whole team, with emotions on the surface,” he announced. Carlos Alcaraz after the bitter experience of feeling paralyzed on the court due to general cramps he suffered in the semifinal against Novak Djokovic. He lasted two and a half hours, during which time his body collapsed muscularly. Betrayed by the mind and demands of the ongoing Serbian legend and pushed the fight to the limit.

Alcaraz lost 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 and 6-1. “Carlos believes he can win,” his coach had stressed Juan Carlos Ferrero before the confrontation. “I feel ready”, confirms the Murcian, who is making the path that invited the bid with the two-time champion of the tournament Novak Djokovic, that on Sunday he will fight for a record 23rd Grand Slam against the Norwegian Casper Ruud.

“I have not reserved anything”, the man from El Palmar had also insisted on his dominance in match against Denis Shapovalov, Lorenzo Musetti or Stefanos Tsitsipas. All three, with a one-handed backhand, which is not the case with Djokovic. “You have to be fine today it’s time,” said the Serbian about his biggest doubts and tour complaints in recent days in Paris

Djokovic, in his 45th Grand Slam semifinal, raised the bar to the max. Alcaraz, only in his second penultimate round and despite the fact that he was already the champion of the US Open, he was crowded. “I highlight it more mentally and the demand of the first two sets. It’s not easy to play a Grand Slam semifinal, especially against Novak.”

The personal and collective reflection of his work team, “which I consider family”, is touching, he always points out Carlitos. The emotional and the physical go hand in hand in sport. Mind and body are in harmony.

Alcaraz withdrew from the 2021 US Open after suffering a five-set match Stefanos Tsitsipas, have to retire before Felix Auger-Aliassime. Muscularly, broken: “A fibrillar tear was confirmed in the vastus intermedius and lateralis of the quadriceps and a lengthening in the adductor,” he announced then.

Last year, when he was competing with Danish Holger Rune in the semifinals in Paris, he had to stop immediately. Abdominal injury: tear of the internal oblique muscle of the left lateral abdominal wall. Goodbye to the ATP and Davis Cup Finals.

In January, before leaving australia tomorrow, the hamstring in his right leg, which he blamed on an accidental move during training. He again stayed in the last part of the River. Nor did he surrender, as had happened in Paris, but the outcome was repeated: crippled and defeated.

It is dosed in clay, which did not start in Monte Carlo and is not even close to the top in Rome. He really only gave himself to the wins of Godo and Madrid. I arrived at Roland Garros rested, after a few days of rest with family and friends before starting specific preparatory work.

Alcaraz does not know why and needs to look for reasons and solutions because experience, another relevant factor, is given by time and experiences like the present. “I always tell Carlos that sometimes more positive things come from a defeat than a defeat. And that they are useful for the future”, he pointed out during the tournament ferrero.

Alcaraz, who will lose to world number 1 if Djokovic is Roland Garros champion, is signed up for the Queen’s ATP, in London from June 19 to 25. This will be his debut on grass leading up to Wimbledon, from July 3 to 16. You need to evaluate how you will deal with this Grand Slam, as well as the prospects for what will happen in August, where you will defend the US Open, where Novak Djokovic has access at this time from when the United States opened its borders in May to foreigners who had not been vaccinated against covid.

The strange outcome of Roland Garros put Alcaraz at a crossroads, with the advantage that he is only 20 years old and confident in an environment with Juan Carlos Ferrero at the front, who knows every aspect of high competition. There is no shortage of talent and “I will work more,” he announced.