Alcaraz’s change in his Paris-Bercy attack: “I know what I have to do”

The tennis season has reached its final stage, and Carlos Alcaraz has one goal: to get as close as possible to Jannik Sinner. To do this he needs to improve his results in the two major tournaments remaining, the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000 and the ATP Finals, events where he was not comfortable, although this time things seem to have changed.

“I didn’t play good tennis here, I came tired and I didn’t understand that the season didn’t end in September. Now I face it in a different way” said the Murcian, who will play for the fourth year under the roof of Paris.

Lost in the second round last year to Russian Roman Safiullinhis best performance was in 2022, when he reached the quarterfinals, where he had to retire against the Danish Holger Rune, who ended up lifting the trophy.

In his debut a year earlier, he suffered a real test in the third round against Frenchman Hugo Gaston.who, driving the public, ends up driving him crazy and, crying, he turns away.

“Now I feel different, I know what I have to do. I think I have what it takes to go even further than last year.which is not difficult,” he indicated.

“I have to understand that the season is not over yet, that after Basel there is another important tournament. I’ve been at home for a long time, but I know I have to compete again, with important tournaments left,” he said.

Alcaraz will make his debut this Tuesday (7pm) against Chilean Nicolás Jarry. The South American, 37th in the ATP ranking, with three titles in his history, all on land, Bastad, Santiago and Ginebra, finalist this 2024 in the Masters 1,000 in Rome, his great success, and in Buenos Aires, he will face Alcaraz , exempt in the first leg of the tournament.

The Spaniard, the second favorite, aims to avenge the face-off the two had this year in Buenos Aireson clay, and the Chilean won 7-6 (2) and 6-3. In the semi-finals. The other two duels between the two, in Rio de Janeiro and at Wimbledon in 2023, ended on the Murcian side.

The winner will face, on Thursday, Ugo Humbert or Marcos Gironwhile Casper Ruud or Tommy Paul will be the theoretical rivals in the quarterfinals.

In the other half of the lower part of the painting, The other hypothetical quarterfinal duel pits Medvedev against Gregor Dimitrov.

And at the top of the painting, Sinner, who will debut on Wednesday against either Ben Shelton or Corentin Moutetcould have American Taylor Fritz as a quarterfinal opponent.

The other possible great rivalry in that part of the picture he will face Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev.

Alcaraz said in the press conference before his debut that he wants to make a great performance and “close the circle” in Pariswhere this year he won his first Roland Garros and Olympic silver at the Games.

“I am very fond of Paris, because of what I have experienced this year, but also the previous ones. I’m looking forward to getting started, to see how it goes and play good tennis to reach the final rounds. I feel good, I have confidence“said the Spaniard, who in his first contact with the slopes said he was “surprised” by the speed of the surface.

Alcaraz assured that his status as number 2 in the world entails certain responsibilities: “I have to play good tennis and be mentally prepared to have a good game.“.

opposite, Alcaraz will have Jannik Sinner, number 1, where a high-voltage rivalry is brewing that this season will end with the transalpine at the top of the ranking.

“It’s not enough to beat him three times, I think he has incredible consistency.with a 90% success rate, something very few can achieve. I didn’t play well in some tournaments and, like everyone, I have to try to be more consistent throughout the year. “That’s my goal for next year,” he said.