Carlos Alcaraz admits Jannik Sinner messed up his game plan completely leaving him complaining too much as the Italian reaches the finals in China Open

Alcaraz suffered his 4th defeat to Sinner in 7 games.

Carlos Alcaraz admits Jannik Sinner messed up his game plan completely leaving him complaining too much as the Italian reaches the finals in China Open

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner (Credit : ATP Tour/Wimbledon)

2-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz played Jannik Sinner, possibly his most formidable opponent on the tour, in the semi-final of the ATP 500 China Open at the National Tennis Centre in Beijing on Tuesday. The 6th-seeded Italian defeated the Spaniard 7-6(4),6-1 to improve his head-to-head over the 1st seed to 4-3. Alcaraz wasn’t able to exert dominance on the court like he usually does.

The Spaniard crumbled in the second set after giving Sinner a run for his money in the 1st. Talking to the press after the game, Alcaraz said, “I couldn’t do what I always did, I tried to play deeper [on the court] but I couldn’t. I tried to play with another tactic, but it didn’t go well in that part either. This is another thing I’ll have to learn if I want to beat Jannik.”

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The World No.2 has earlier complained about the flaws in this aspect of his game. Speaking after his defeat to Daniil Medvedev in the semi-final of the recently concluded US Open, Alcaraz said that he wasn’t mature enough to handle the difficult situations in the match. The Spaniard felt that he had to improve on his in-game decision-making.

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“Then in the second set I was mentally out [of it]. I was complaining too much, something that really makes it difficult for you to play at your best level, that’s what it means to be angry with yourself. This is what happened,” he added.

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Carlos Alcaraz talks about failing to capitalize on opportunities in his semi-final encounter against Jannik Sinner

Alcaraz failed to capitalize on 2 break point opportunities to take a healthy 3-0 lead in the first set. Sinner managed to get in the game after that and controlled the rest of the game. Disappointed by his failure to capture the big moments, Alcaraz said in the press conference, “Against players like Jannik, if you don’t take advantage of those opportunities, it’s harder to win or stay ahead on the scoreboard. That’s something I have to learn about.”

carlos alcaraz china open
Carlos Alcaraz addressing the press at the China Open. (Credit : ATP Tour)

The China Open was the first tournament Alcaraz played after the US Open. The Spaniard skipped the Davis Cup to take rest from a hectic schedule. The 2-time Grand Slam champion has won 6 titles this year, including Wimbledon and 2 Masters title.

Next up, Alcaraz will play at the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters. The Spaniard has already sealed his spot in the year-end ATP Finals to be played in Turin, Italy from 12th November. Carlos also confirmed his participation in the 2024 Rio Open in a video released by the tournament.

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