Alcaraz bumped into the devil himself in his first attempt at the Australian Open

Carlos Alcaraz He trained with Norwegian Casper Ruud and Russian Andrey Rublev at Melbourne Park, the facility that hosts the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, the Australian Open. The Murcian missed 2023 due to a last-minute injury, before traveling to the antipodes.

There was no physical disaster that hindered the movement of the Spanish player, 20 years old and world No. 2. Among the great international figures, the last to set foot in the ocean because until this week he had not worked at the venue.

Where he will arrive, as he planned twelve months ago, without any official match as proof of his true state of form, which will help him to obtain a rhythm that only the competition provides.

instead, Carlos Alcaraz has chosen to play two exhibition matches at Rod Laver Arena, the headquarters of the Australian Open, although there are ideal opponents to fully simulate a tournament. This is part of a program promoted by the country’s federation, Tennis Australia (TA), ahead of the start of the main draw, which will take place from January 14 to 28.

Carlos Alcaraz will be on court, with tickets sold for charity, on Wednesday and Friday, while on Thursday the main characters will be the current champions, the Serbian Novak Djokovic (against the Greek finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas) and the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenkain front of Helena Maria Sakkari.

The time is six thirty in the local afternoon, eight thirty in the Spanish morning, central European time.

Alcaraz, with the technician Samuel Lopez due to recent knee surgery Juan Carlos Ferrero, has its first major test. He himself put the devil in his path.

The Australian Alex de Minaurhas opened 2024 by his ‘Demon’ nickname in the United Cup. He started the season with a loss against the British Cameron Norrie (6-4, 2-6, 7-6), but then he chased the American Taylor Fritz (6-4 and 6-2), to the Serbian world number 1 Novak Djokovic (6-4 and 6-4) and also the German top-10 Alexander Zverev (5-7, 6-3 and 6-4).

At 24 years old, born in Sydney to a Uruguayan father and a Spanish mother, living in Alicante, he debuted a position in the world top-10, which he completed (10th) in the first ATP ranking of 2024.

More shots than Carlos Alcaraz, whom he defeated twice on the ATP Tour: in the semifinals of Godó 2022, after having match points, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4) and 6-4; on grass at Queen’s 2023, final, 6-4 and 6-4.

Alcaraz, in addition to training, will have a rehearsal on Friday against the Norwegian Casper Ruud. He will go to the Australian Open and world number 1 in Djokovicwhom he had already dethroned at Wimbledon.

The tennis player from El Palmar has not officially competed since losing in the semifinals of ATP Finals in Turin against Novak Djokovicwhich he surpassed in December at the Saudi Arabian exhibition.