Carlos Alcaraz He always said it loud and clear: he didn’t want to argue with any rival, he wanted to have the record in his favor against anyone. This is one of his incentives to push himself and continue to advance in the circuit. Also a sign of ambition that characterizes the best. That’s why he has four Grand Slam titles at the age of 21.
From greed he was on a whole streak of success. Had a 12 game winning streak. The recent Beijing ATP 500 champion reached the quarterfinals of the Shanghai ATP Masters 1000, his second and final leg on the Asian tour.
He won 6-4 and 7-5 in 1h.27′ against the Frenchman Gael Monfils, 38 years old and number 46. He avoided the trap set by his veteran rival to avenge the summer loss in Cincinnati. A painful memory because he was in the middle of a crisis, tired after winning Roland Garros and Wimbledon, having won silver in Paris 2024, and he broke a racket by violently hitting it on the ground several times.
The current Alcaraz has energy and tennis again. This Thursday he is waiting for the American in the conditions Tommy Paul or Czech Tomas Macac.
“I think he has a crush on me, he’s a legend in the making,” Gael Monfils had said the day before. Playing cat and mouse since before entering the court. The French tennis player knows a lot, with a special ability to set traps. He puts the games to sleep and suddenly wakes them up with a few violent shots. It’s like he’s about to give up, he huffs after each point, he doubles as if there’s no air. And on the next play he was running with the strength of a 16-year-old kid.
He tried to mislead Alcaraz, as in Cincinnatibut the Murcian’s head was blocked. He was clairvoyant again, and faced the encounter according to what he had and needed. At times he was a strange Charly, in the sense that there was more method than brilliance. An even more control for those who love the show, the genius. Terrain where, certainly, his opponent becomes more dangerous. It is better not to give it wings, to enter the chaos.
However, Alcaraz raises the bar when he needs to, indicating that his caution is more about not falling for the opponent’s bait than a mere discomfort. At 4-4 he went to the opponent and the set, and proved a 3-0 part that made it clear who would rule the important points.
Identical movement in the second set, with more games as Monfils first avoided falling by serving, using his ten ‘aces’. But it’s only a matter of time because Alcaraz is calm and has had enough of a game to not get involved like he did in Cincinnati. Yes to end the victory as it has already happened Indian Wells 2022 (7-5 and 6-1) and Miami 2024 (6-2 and 6-4).
Without stridency but with maturity, Alcaraz won 3-1 against Monfils. Passed the subject after the bad August exam in Cincy, there are more occasions where the student of Juan Carlos Ferrero He won sets without even playing well (like in the first one, where he had fewer wins and more errors), giving the match a change of direction when the crucial moment arrived. A sign of progress, which will please the Valencian coach and give more records to the Murcian, which is more complete every day in every sense.
“I tried to be calm as much as I could during the game. Control my emotions and wait for my opportunities,” Alcaraz stressed.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
