“I can win it, I’m not saying no” Carlos Alcaraz makes big claims on winning his first major this season
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Carlos Alcaraz
World No. 19 Carlos Alcaraz made a winning debut at the Davis Cup for Spain during the qualifiers played in the last week. Alcaraz was scheduled to make his Davis Cup debut at the 2021 Davis Cup Finals in December last year but the player tested positive for Covid-19 and was unfortunate to miss the tournament.
As he begins his first full season on the Tour, Alcaraz has already claimed an ATP-500 title at the 2022 Rio Open having earlier made it to the 3rd round of the 2022 Australian Open where he was defeated by World No. 7 and eventual semi-finalist Matteo Berrettini who needed 5-sets to defeat the spirited Spanish youngster.
Having already played in the main-draw of all Grand Slam events, Alcaraz’s best run came at the 2021 US Open when he became the youngest US Open quarter-finalist but an untimely injury saw him retire from the quarter-final. He had earlier made it to the 3rd round of the 2021 French Open having started as a qualifier before being defeated by Jan-Lennard Struff. Alcaraz was up against the then World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev in the second round of the 2021 Wimbledon where the Russian won the match in straight-sets.
As he now prepares for a full season with a better experience, Alcaraz evaluated his chances to win a major this season itself in what will b surely be a surprise win as not many see the teenager win a Slam this season at least.
“This year I still think that I am not a candidate to win a Grand Slam. Yes, I can win it, I’m not saying no, because in tennis anything can happen. But I’m not going to go to those tournaments being one of the favourites or one of the candidates to win it. Yes, I always think about what it would be like to be number one, what it would be like to win the last point of my first Grand Slam.
“I always think about how I would celebrate my first Grand Slam or how I would celebrate winning the match that allows me to be number one in the world,” said Alcaraz in his recent interview with Marca after finishing his short stint with the Spanish national team at the Davis Cup qualifiers.
Carlos Alcaraz speaks about his surface adaptability and attracting crowds
While Alcaraz is seen as a Clay court player as both of his titles have come on it, he himself thinks that he is an all-surface player and has fantastic adaptability to perform at the top level irrespective of the surface.
“I am a player who adapts well to surfaces and I feel very comfortable both on clay and fast. I believe that I will be a tennis player who will play a little better in rapid than on clay due to the fact that most tournaments are rapid. I’m sure I’ll end up feeling more comfortable there.
“Because of the way I play, the self-confidence I have on the court; I am very dynamic, I go up to the net, I make drop shots, I hit the ball very hard; how I encourage myself by shouting, being a little euphoric in that sense… I can do anything to you, some early bounce, some very good left volley, different things that are what attract people,” added Alcaraz who will next play at the upcoming 2022 Indian Wells Masters.
Also Read: “I want to face Novak Djokovic” Carlos Alcaraz believes he has matured to take on the greats
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