Carlos Alcaraz Opens Up on Mindset After Reaching 55th ATP Quarterfinal in Doha: “I Focus on the Finals”

World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz is aiming to reach his third consecutive tour-level final.

Carlos Alcaraz Opens Up on Mindset After Reaching 55th ATP Quarterfinal in Doha: “I Focus on the Finals”

Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

In Short
  • Carlos Alcaraz reached the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open for the second consecutive year, aiming to improve his record against Karen Khachanov.
  • He emphasizes a mindset focused on reaching finals rather than dwelling on quarterfinal achievements.
  • Alcaraz is on a nine-match winning streak and seeks his ninth ATP 500 title after winning the Japan Open last year.

Carlos Alcaraz has made the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open for the second consecutive time after his debut run last year. Although he lost to Jiri Lehecka in this stage last year, this time he will be hoping to improve his head-to-head record against his quarterfinal opponent, Karen Khachanov, to 6-0.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion, who completed the Career Grand Slam by defeating Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final, will be playing his 55th tour-level singles quarterfinal. Instead of the quarterfinals, the Spaniard focuses only on playing the finals, as he opened up about his champion’s mentality during the on-court interview after his win over his second-round opponent, Valentin Royer.

It’s a great number, but honestly, I don’t think about the quarterfinals I’ve reached. I focus on the finals I play; that’s my mentality and my goal. So, I hope to add another final to my collection this week. But my next match is going to be very tough. I’m very excited and eager to play. I’m very happy to see myself playing with such consistency.

Alcaraz is also bidding to reach a tour-level final for the third consecutive time. Before defeating the 24-time Grand Slam champion in the final at Melbourne Park, Alcaraz lost to Jannik Sinner in the title clash of last year’s ATP Finals (he made the final for the first time).

Alcaraz is aiming to win his career’s ninth ATP 500 title. The 22-year-old, who is on a nine-match winning streak, last won a title in the ATP 500 category at last year’s Japan Open by defeating America’s Taylor Fritz.

Pablo Carreno Busta lauds Carlos Alcaraz’s coach, Samuel Lopez

The tournament that Carlos Alcaraz won without the guidance of Juan Carlos Ferrero was this year’s Australian Open. All of his previous 24 titles that Alcaraz captured, including his previous six Majors, were under the tutelage of the 2003 French Open champion.

Samuel Lopez Carlos Alcaraz Monte Carlo Masters 2025
Samuel Lopez and Carlos Alcaraz (image via Tiscali Sports)

Alcaraz and Ferrero parted ways last December, and in Melbourne, the 22-year-old worked with Samuel Lopez, who joined his team in December 2024.

There were concerns about how Alcaraz would perform without Ferrero. But the tennis ace shut the critics by claiming the Major Down Under. Before working with the Murcia native, Lopez worked with Pablo Carreno Busta, another Spanish ATP ace.

Busta also played the Qatar Open, where, after reaching the main draw, he lost to Quentin Halys in the first round. During his recent interview with AS, he heaped a lot of praise on Lopez.

I’m so happy for Samuel, because he’s a fantastic person. He’s a really, really good coach. He didn’t become a top player, but he is a top coach. He’s coached many players, and he’s probably taken them all to their full potential, which doesn’t mean they all have to be number one. He’s been with Guillermo Garcia, he’s been with Nico Almagro, he’s been with me… and we’ve all been at the top. When a coach takes a player and takes them to the top, it means he’s very good. I’m really happy for him.

The Australian Open title also made Alcaraz the youngest man to reach the seven Grand Slam titles tally, surpassing Bjorn Borg, who achieved it at 23. Before this year, Alcaraz had never made the semifinals, losing twice in the last eight.

In the semifinals this time, he defeated last year’s runner-up Alexander Zverev in five sets, in five hours and 27 minutes (the longest semifinal in the history of the Australian Open). His win in the final was his second consecutive win over Novak Djokovic, following his victory in the semifinal of last year’s US Open.

Also read: Emma Raducanu Advised to Copy Roger Federer’s Coaching Move After Being Without a Coach