Carlos Alcaraznumber two in the ATP world ranking, assured this Monday that it is good to have other young players on the circuit who have won Grand Slam tournaments, such as Jannik Sinnerand admits that he needs to regain his best level to be consistent with the Italian.
“I’m very happy with the way Sinner is playing and winning tournaments”said the 20-year-old from Murcia at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro, where this week he is competing in the open in this Brazilian city.
The former world number one admitted it was difficult to avoid comparisons with Sinner, 22, who won his first twelve matches of the season this year, winning the Australian Open and Rotterdam titles, which saw him rise to third place in the ATP rankings.
“I have to get back to being 100% every day, if I want to be at that level (of Sinner).because he is at his best moment,” said the Spaniard, who fell in the semifinals of the Buenos Aires Open on Saturday and saw Novak Djokovic drift further away from the top of the rankings.
The Spaniard, who won the Rio de Janeiro Open in 2022 (his first title at an ATP 500) and was a finalist in 2023, will make his debut on Tuesday against the Brazilian Thiago Monteirowhere they have accumulated a win and a loss in the two games played in 2021.
“I faced him last time, in 2021, and lost to him in our first match. But I know his style and his game. “I know he has extra motivation to compete in Brazil and in front of his fans in Rio de Janeiro and that’s why I have to be ready for a tough match,” he said.
He added that he has a lot to improve on compared to what he did at the Buenos Aires Open, where he was eliminated in the semifinals on Saturday by Chilean Nicolás Jarry.
“I have a lot of things to improve on. “I hit the ball well and I played well, but in some difficult moments, when nerves spoke louder, Jarry was better than me,” he said.
He added that Jarry, seeded third in Rio de Janeiro, is also a candidate to win the title in Brazil.
“If he plays at his best level he is a candidate anywhere. If I want to beat players like Nico I have to use my chances better,” he said referring to the break points he wasted against the Chilean in Argentina.
Source: La Verdad
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