Carlos Alcaraz Shares How He’s Able to Play Best Tennis Despite Not Feeling Good

World No.2 Carlos Alcaraz will lock horns with Luca Nardi for the second time in his career.

Carlos Alcaraz Shares How He’s Able to Play Best Tennis Despite Not Feeling Good

Carlos Alcaraz (image via Instagram/Carlos Alcaraz)

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Carlos Alcaraz struggled in his opening-round match against Damir Dzumhur as the Bosnian took the second set off him. But the Spaniard was successful in ending his third-round match in straight sets against Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic.

During the on-court interview, the second seed was asked how he’s able to play high-quality tennis even on days when he’s not feeling well. Alcaraz complained about the 11-month calendar and said he is trying to work on playing high-level tennis on a consistent basis, even on bad days.

I always say that the season is really long, playing a lot of matches, playing a lot of tournaments. More than half of the matches we play, you don’t feel that good. You have to think positively and just play your best tennis possible that day. I’m really happy that in really difficult matches I’m able to play my best tennis even though I’m not feeling right way.

His victory over Medjedovic was his 50th win of the season, and he now took a 1-0 head-to-head lead over the World No.72. It was also his 13th consecutive Masters 1000 win as he lifted the Monte Carlo Masters by beating Lorenzo Musetti and the Italian Open by beating Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz was the runner-up in Cincinnati in 2023, losing the final to 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.

But last year in Cincinnati, the five-time Grand Slam champion succumbed to defeat in his opening-round match against Gael Monfils. Alcaraz doesn’t have many points to defend on the North American hard-court swing, as he also suffered a shock second-round exit at the US Open last year. He will inch closer to dethroning Sinner from the top of the rankings table if he continues to win and the four-time Grand Slam champion loses.

Alcaraz is chasing his eighth Masters 1000 titles. Two of these he lifted this year – in Monte Carlo and Rome. If Alcaraz wins, it will also be his sixth title of the season, as apart from Monte Carlo and Rome, Alcaraz also emerged victorious at the Rotterdam Open, French Open, and the Queen’s Club Championships.

Carlos Alcaraz on how he deals with the heat in Cincinnati

The sweltering conditions in Cincinnati are making things harder for the players. Aryna Sabalenka wasted no time in taking an ice bath after battling against Emma Raducanu for more than three hours in the third round. Daniil Medvedev took off his shirt and sat with an ice towel over his head, and also put his head in a fridge.

Carlos Alcaraz (via X/ATP)
Carlos Alcaraz (via X/ATP)

France’s Arthur Rinderknech handed the walkover to Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime after he collapsed on the court due to the heat. Carlos Alcaraz, following his match against Hamad Medjedovic, told Tennis Channel that he tricks his mind into thinking that he’s used to playing in extreme conditions.

I’m trying to think about the opening as well as trying to make it a battle really tough. I’m from Murcia. Murcia is really hot as well in the summer. So I just tell myself that, ‘Okay, you have to get used to it, or you’re used to it. And trying not to, not to let the sun affect my game or affect me.

The second seed will next lock horns with Luca Nardi, the qualifier, who received a walkover from reigning Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik. Alcaraz holds a 1-0 head-to-head lead over Nardi, whom he defeated in the round of 16 in Doha this season.

After Cincinnati, Alcaraz will shift his focus toward winning the US Open title for the second time in his career. He lifted the title at Flushing Meadows back in 2022, which was also his first Grand Slam title.

Also read: Darren Cahill Opens Up About Jannik Sinner’s Relentless Desire to “Show Up in Big Tournaments”