Former World No.1 in Awe of Carlos Alcaraz After Watching Him Play Up Close at Laver Cup

World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz has played nine finals and won seven titles this season.

Former World No.1 in Awe of Carlos Alcaraz After Watching Him Play Up Close at Laver Cup

Carlos Alcaraz (Image via ATP/X)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Carlos Alcaraz is no longer facing any criticism for his work ethic. Not only is he playing consistent tennis, but he has taken seven trophies in nine finals this season, which included the French Open and US Open, both of which he clinched by beating Jannik Sinner. After the US Open, Alcaraz once again flew to America for the Laver Cup, held in San Francisco for the first time.

Although his victory over Taylor Fritz helped Team Europe win the Laver Cup for the fifth time last year, his three wins went in vain in the latest edition. Team World’s dominance on Day 2, and later Fritz’s sixth consecutive win over Alexander Zverev, ensured Team World’s victory for the third time.

Team World’s vice captain Pat Rafter, a former World No.1 and the winner of the 1997 and 1998 US Open titles, was in awe of Alcaraz as he watched the Spaniard play for the first time this close. During the live Served podcast with Andy Roddick, the 52-year-old said Alcaraz hits even the difficult shots with ease.

Alcaraz, I’m sorry, this guy is amazing. I had not seen him play at all close up, but he can generate power. We talk about the pace of the court, and it’s quite slow, but this guy can create pace, and not many people can. His racket head speed, his strength, and his pace are amazing.

Alcaraz’s next destination is Tokyo as he is set to make his debut at the Japan Open and will face Sebastian Baez in his opening round. After the Japan Open, Alcaraz will be playing the Shanghai Masters. He doesn’t have many points to defend on the Asian swing, which means that having better campaigns than World No.2 Sinner will only increase the ranking gap.

Carlos Alcaraz on how he overcame his defeat to Taylor Fritz

Carlos Alcaraz won both his matches on the final day of the Laver Cup. But in his singles match against Taylor Fritz, the American secured the win over him for the first time in his career after three back-to-back defeats. Losing that match was disappointing for the six-time Grand Slam champion, but knowing that he still had the chance to compensate for the defeat, he started putting more focus on his match against Francisco Cerundolo, whom he defeated without breaking a sweat.

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

Well, last night was tough. It was a tough night. It was a tough day with the losses, but you know, normally when you lose in a tournament, you are out of the tournament. Here you lose, and you have another chance to be better. You have another chance to help the team with the points.

Carlos Alcaraz said at the press conference

Alcaraz has increased his overall head-to-head lead over Cerundolo to 4-0 and 3-0 this year. So far in the Laver Cup, the 22-year-old has played eight matches, winning six and losing two (one singles this year and one doubles last year).

Fritz, on the other hand, made his fifth appearance in the team event. So far, he has played 10 matches and holds a 7-3 win-loss record. Like Alcaraz, the 27-year-old will also be participating at the Japan Open, where last year, eventual champion Arthur Fils knocked him out in the opening round.

Fritz will be chasing his third singles title in Tokyo after his wins at the Eastbourne International (his fourth title in the event) and the Stuttgart Open. He will only face Alcaraz at the Japan Open if they both progress to the championship clash. Fritz won the Japan Open in 2022 by defeating compatriot Frances Tiafoe.

Also read: Roger Federer Gives Important Information on Rafael Nadal Ahead of a Potential Fedal Tour