Carlos Alcaraz admits pressure of reclaiming No.1 ranking from Jannik Sinner ‘killed him’
Jannik Sinner will return at the Italian Open and it will only make it tough for Carlos Alcaraz to dethrone him from the top.
Follow Us
Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner (Images via X/The Tennis Letter)
Carlos Alcaraz has been at the receiving end of criticism for being inconsistent this season. He has also not been able to capitalize on the opportunity of reclaiming the No.1 position now that Jannik Sinner is banned for three months.
Alcaraz has won just the Rotterdam Open this season and will be starting his campaign on the clay swing without winning a Sunshine Double tournament since 2021. The 21-year-old sits in third place with 6,730 points on the live rankings.
World No.2 Alexander Zverev has 7,595 points, while Sinner lost 400 points because of not playing the Monte Carlo Masters and continues to sit on the top with 9,930 points. Sinner, after missing the Madrid Open, has confirmed that he will be making his comeback at the Italian Open as his ban lifts on May 4 and his home event starts on May 7.
His return will only make it tough for Alcaraz to dethrone him from the top. But Alcaraz has admitted that the pressure of replacing Sinner is too much for him and he would rather not think about it.
A lot of people tell me that I have a chance of becoming world number one again since Jannik isn’t playing. This pressure has probably killed me a bit. I think I’m too far behind Jannik, so my state of mind at the moment is that I shouldn’t think about the ranking.
Carlos Alcaraz said at the press conference
Alcaraz, after winning the Rotterdam Open, reached the quarterfinals and the semifinals of the Qatar Open and Indian Wells, respectively. But at the Miami Open, he shockingly fell in the first round after defeat to David Goffin. Alcaraz was inconsistent throughout the 2024 season. Even though he completed the rare Channel Slam, he ended the season with just four titles.
Carlos Alcaraz admits his superpower sometimes turns into his weakness
Carlos Alcaraz is one of the most aggressive players on the tour. He is very athletic and his intense approach makes every player toil hard in almost every match. But Alcrarz plays by instinct and this is his weakness.
Sometimes it has happened to me that when I’m winning a match, and I’m feeling good, I lower the intensity and end up losing. I’ve learned a lot from that. I think that many times I play by instinct in the important moments. I do what I feel, and that’s not good. Maybe you have to follow a strategy.
Carlos Alcaraz said at the press conference
Alcaraz is gearing up for the Monte Carlo Masters and will be hoping to not make this mistake. He has never claimed the title in The Principality and will be playing in the tournament for the first time since 2022.
Last year on the clay swing, the four-time Grand Slam champion could play three tournaments due to an injury. He missed the Monte Carlo Masters and the Italian Open and made his comeback in Madrid where he fell in the quarterfinals. Alcaraz then went on to claim the French Open and fell short of the Paris Olympics gold medal.
Carlos Alcaraz to lock horns with Francisco Cerundolo or Fabio Fognini at the Monte Carlo Masters
Carlos Alcaraz will kick start his Monte Carlo Masters campaign on April 8. On April 7, 2019, Monte Carlo Masters champion Fabio Fognini will be locking horns with Francisco Cerundolo and the winner of the match will face Alcaraz in the second round.
The match against Fognini or Cerundolo will be his first in the tournament as the second seed has received a bye. He could meet Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round and 2023 Monte Carlo Masters champion Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals. If he reaches the final, there is a possibility of a blockbuster clash with World No.5 Novak Djokovic who recently was denied his 100th ATP title by Jakub Mensik at the Miami Open.
/techfirstnow/media/agency_attachments/kATjCXskQdJKkXN0OuqW.png)