Carlos Alcaraz cherishes the Davis Cup atmosphere in Valencia after Tomas Machac’s retirement from their match

Tomas Machac retired after the opening game of the third set against Carlos Alcaraz in the Davis Cup tie in Valencia.

Carlos Alcaraz cherishes the Davis Cup atmosphere in Valencia after Tomas Machac’s retirement from their match

Carlos Alcaraz (via X/Carlos Alcaraz)

Carlos Alcaraz and Tomas Machac were tied at one set each on Wednesday. It was at that time when the 23-year-old Czech player had to retire due to cramps during their Davis Cup Finals Group Stage match.

After the match, the former World No.1 Alcaraz expressed his excitement about playing in the Davis Cup in front of his home crowd. It was his first tournament since his early exit in the second round of the US Open.

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Honestly it’s a special feeling for me playing here in Valencia at the Davis Cup. I missed it last year. As I said many times, the schedule in tennis is really tight. There are a lot of tournaments I love to play. But sometimes I can’t do it. Last year this was the case for me. Missing the Davis cup. But this year I’m really excited about it. It’s a really special feeling for me.
Carlos Alcaraz said in his post-match interview

Alcaraz lost the first set 6-7(3) but bounced back to win the second set 6-1. Machac retired during the first game of the final set after one hour and 38 minutes of play in Valencia. When Machac struggled to continue, the Spaniard showed sportsmanship by warmly embracing his opponent.

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This is Alcaraz’s first Davis Cup appearance since September 2022. He will later team up with Marcel Granollers to face Jakub Mensik and Adam Pavlasek. Spain’s next match will be against France on Friday (September 13), while Czechia will play Australia on Thursday.

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Calendar of Carlos Alcaraz for the remainder of 2024

World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz has a packed schedule for the remainder of the season. The Spaniard exited early from the US Open but is currently representing Spain in the Davis Cup.

Carlos Alcaraz (3)
Carlos Alcaraz (Image via Imago)

After that, he will participate in his first Laver Cup edition, partnering with compatriot Rafael Nadal for Team Europe. Many fans are eager to see the return of ‘Nadalcaraz,’ which was showcased at the Paris Olympics last month.

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Although there has been no official announcement from the ATP, Alcaraz is almost confirmed to return to Turin for the Nitto ATP Finals. The former World No. 1 reached the semifinals in his event debut last year, losing to Novak Djokovic. He missed the 2022 edition due to injuries despite finishing the season as the year-end World No. 1.

Following that, he will headline the China Open and is also scheduled to play in the Shanghai Masters, where Djokovic has been the only confirmed high-profile participant so far.