“Everyone wants to beat me so I have to be prepared for that,” Carlos Alcaraz reveals his new mindset for the 2023 tennis season
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Carlos Alcaraz with the Year-End No. 1 trophy - IMAGO / Nicolo Campo
Tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz rose to the peak of the ATP ranking at a rapid rate. At 19 years, 4 months, and 6 days old, he overtook Australian Lleyton Hewitt as the youngest man to be ranked no.1 in the history of ATP Rankings. While his current ranking can be attributed to some exigent circumstances like Novak Djokovic being banned from two Grand Slam events that hampered his ranking points, and Rafael Nadal’s persistent injuries, Alcaraz’s talent cannot be underestimated.
From being ranked outside of the Top 30, to being world no.1, Alcaraz’s journey has been awe-inspiring. And despite his young age, he has started showing a tenacity that might take him from being a tennis player to a tennis legend. This will require physical, as well as immense mental strength. And the Spaniard has now stated that he has changed his mind after being ranked no.1, and will be entering 2023 in full throttle. He recently shared his experiences with the National.
Still dazed about his maiden Grand Slam win, he told the publication, “I’ve had time to realise what I did, to look back on this amazing year and I still can’t believe it.” He further stated “lot of things to enjoy from this year and now I need to try to do the same or better next season. Next season is going to be different for me. I’m not going to be one of the guys who is climbing up, I’m there, so this season(2023) will be a different mentality.”
Alcaraz understands the attention and intense scrutiny that comes with being no.1 and a Grand Slam champion. “I have to be prepared to stay strong the whole year because I’ll be going to lots of tournaments as the favourite. Everyone wants to beat me so I have to be prepared for that” he responded in a self-aware tone.
Carlos Alcaraz on the Big 4, and his peers
With Roger Federer’s retirement, and the rest of the Big 4 facing circumstances like injuries, etc, it is evident that the curtains will be drawn on their career soon enough. Their absolute dominance has begun to fade, but Alcaraz is aware that it won’t be easy for him even if Murray, Djokovic, and Nadal retire. He is wary of his peers and is well aware that they pose a threat to him as well. However, he also clarified that he is happy about the competition
“For 20 years it’s always been the same players, the Big Four, always winning the biggest tournaments,” he said. “Right now, there are so many chances to win those tournaments and so many players have those chances. I’m really happy to see a lot of tennis players that can compete at the top. There’s a really big group.”
In addition to defending his no.1 position, Alcaraz will also be looking forward to defending some big titles next year. These include Masters 1000, ATP 500, and a Grand Slam title.
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Aradhana Nayak
(189 Articles Published)