Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff visit the Forbidden City in Beijing | ATP Tour

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Alcaraz and Gauff visit the Forbidden City before Beijing

The Spaniard will seek the title at the Chinese ATP 500

September 25, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz will be hoping to keep the Laver Cup momentum going this week at the China Open in Beijing. However, before the competition begins on court, the PIF ATP Rankings No. 3 took time to visit the Chinese capital alongside WTA star Coco Gauff.

The Spaniard and the American enjoyed visiting the Forbidden City dressed in traditional costumes on Wednesday.

“It’s been a great experience,” Alcaraz said at the pre-tournament press conference. “Last year I didn’t get to visit too many places. It’s nice to get to know the culture of China, to see different things. Being here [en la Ciudad Prohibida] “It was a very nice experience for me. I am really happy to be back in Beijing.”

On the court, Alcaraz hopes his performances at the Laver Cup can help him find success on the Asian swing. The Murcia native, who recorded wins over Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz to lead Team Europe to victory in Berlin, is the second seed at the ATP 500 in Beijing.

“We all went to the Laver Cup with the goal of winning, helping Team Europe as much as possible and taking back the trophy,” said Alcaraz. “The last two years, Team World had dominated the Laver Cup. For me, it was an extraordinary achievement to help Team Europe take back the cup.”

“The tournament was fantastic, a great experience alongside teammates who I usually play against throughout the season. To have them all sending me that energy while I was playing was an incredible experience for me. I played at a good level, had some great matches at the Laver Cup, and that has helped me to have more confidence going into this tournament.”

“It’s good for my confidence and my level to come here with extra energy. I know I’m ready to get a good result even though the draw is quite tough.”

Alcaraz has won 15 titles in an exceptional career, although he struggled to find his best form in the final months of the season in 2022 and 2023. The Spaniard played just three tournaments after winning the US Open in 2022, withdrawing from the Nitto ATP Finals due to injury. Last season, he went 7-5 between October and November, posting his best results with semi-final appearances at the Nitto ATP Finals and Beijing.

Already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals this year, Alcaraz hopes to improve his performance in the final stretch of the season. The Spaniard will begin that mission in Beijing, where he will face the big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi-Perricard in the first round. Carlos could face Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals, whom he leads 5-2 in the Lexus ATP Head2Head record.