Carlos Alcaraz Claims “Other Players are Better” Than Him on Indoor Hardcourts Ahead of Paris Masters
Carlos Alcaraz will play the winner of the first round match between Sebastian Baez and Cameron Norrie to start his Paris Masters campaign.
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Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K)
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Carlos Alcaraz only has one indoor hardcourt title to his name- the Rotterdam Open, which he clinched earlier this year by defeating Alex de Minaur in three sets. The last Masters 1000 of the season, the Paris Masters, is also an indoor hardcourt event, the main draw of which is scheduled to start on October 27.
Alcaraz made his Paris Masters debut in 2021, and since then, he has not once reached the semifinals, producing his best when he played the quarterfinals in 2022. Last year, he lost in the third round to France’s Ugo Humbert.
Alcaraz recently lost an indoor event. It was the Six Kings Slam exhibition event, where in the final, he was no match for Jannik Sinner, losing the $6 million to him for the second consecutive time.
Also, the Spaniard has never tasted success at the ATP Finals, which is also an indoor hardcourt event. He produced his best in the year-end championships when he reached the semifinals in 2023. Last year, he failed to progress to the last four. At the pre-tournament press conference in Paris, Alcaraz admitted he needs a great deal of improvement in indoor conditions.
Well, I wouldn’t say I’m bad playing indoors. I think other players are better than me on indoor side. It’s a huge difference saying that. I see myself practicing, playing matches that I can play really good tennis, but obviously, there are some matches that I played against someone that they are playing much, much better in indoor than I do. So I have to be ready for that, but I think I will get the good tennis on indoor.
Alcaraz will lock horns with Britain’s Cameron Norrie or Argentina’s Sebastian Baez in the second round to kick-start his campaign. It will be his first official match since the Japan Open final, where he defeated Taylor Fritz to clinch his maiden title in the event.
After Tokyo, Alcaraz was forced to withdraw from the Shanghai Masters because of an injury he suffered during his debut match at the Japan Open. In Paris, Alcaraz will chase his ninth Masters 1000 of his career. Three of his eight Masters 1000s he lifted this year in Monte Carlo, Rome, and Cincinnati.
Carlos Alcaraz picks his favorite tournaments between the Paris Masters, ATP Finals, and Davis Cup
In the pre-tournament press conference, Carlos Alcaraz was asked to pick which tournament is his favorite between the Paris Masters, ATP Finals, and the Davis Cup. The six-time Grand Slam champion chose the team event as he features in it alongside his national teammates.
If I had to choose one between those three tournaments, you make me in trouble. To be honest, I don’t know. It’s big three tournaments that I have ahead. So, Turin, it’s a really important one for me, but obviously, the Davis Cup, playing with my teammates for my country, it’s a really special one.
Spain is a six-time Davis Cup winner, last winning it in 2019 by defeating Canada. Alcaraz made his Davis Cup debut in 2022 and has so far featured in six ties. Last year, he won his three singles matches, but in doubles, he won and lost a piece.
The Davis Cup Finals are scheduled to start on November 18. Spain will lock horns with the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. Last year, Spain lost to eventual runner-up Netherlands in the last eight. It also marked the end of Rafael Nadal‘s career. The 22-year-old lost his doubles match, which he played with Marcel Granollers-Pujol, against the pair of Wesley Koolhof and Botic Van de Zandschulp.
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