Alcaraz dresses up as a centenary in Shanghai | ATP Tour

Shanghai

Alcaraz dresses up as a centenary in Shanghai

The Spaniard reaches 100 victories on hard surfaces

October 06, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz’s celebration is an already iconic image on the ATP Tour circuit. At just 21 years old, the Spaniard has become a fundamental figure in the elite of men’s tennis and his numbers continue to accumulate at a dizzying speed. This Sunday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, the Murcian signed the 100th victory of his career on a hard surface, a platform on which he hopes to write a golden chapter in front of the Chinese fans.

The No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings completed a match of perseverance, beating local Wu Yibing 7-6(5), 6-3 to reach the round of 16 of the Asian ATP Masters 1000. Far from finding an easy match against the world No. 560, Alcaraz had to work hard in a match where he never lost concentration.

“He is recovering his level after the injury. He has the level to reach very high levels, without a doubt,” said Alcaraz about the Asian. “If he maintains this level, I’m sure we’ll see him often. I’m happy to have qualified.”

“I don’t want to say I was surprised, but it was the first time we faced each other. I had beaten [Nicolás] Jarry with ease, 6-2, 6-2, that’s impressive. I had to be focused on playing my best tennis. I’m not used to feeling like I do today on the track. “He is a very powerful tennis player, really strong, I felt like he wasn’t dominating the match.”

Juan Carlos Ferrero’s pupil clung to his chances of victory in a completely flat match at the start. In a first set where there was no room for service breaks, Alcaraz found the loopholes to overcome a 1-3 tiebreaker, underscoring one of his greatest virtues: surviving when the match reaches maximum temperature.

The third seed, who did not face a break point in the entire match, took advantage of a single scratch on Wu’s serve to resolve the second set and claim his 11th consecutive victory after one hour and 41 minutes of play. The stands bid farewell to Wu, the first Chinese man to lift an ATP Tour title (Dallas 2022), with a loud ovation after a performance full of bravery and hard blows.

After making his way through local figures in the first two rounds, Alcaraz will find a more neutral environment in the round of 16 of the tournament. The Spaniard will next face the winner of the French duel between No. 16 seed Ugo Humbert and former world No. 6 Gael Monfils, a match that was postponed this Sunday in Shanghai due to rain.

With the final stretch of the calendar in his hands, Alcaraz keeps his mathematical options alive to close the season as ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF for the second time in his career (2022). The Murcian has consolidated his position as No. 2 in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, at a distance of 2,820 points from the Italian Jannik Sinner, perched at the top of the classification.

Did you know that…?
Carlos Alcaraz is the third player to reach 50 individual victories in the 2024 season. The Spaniard, who will seek the quarterfinals in Shanghai, follows in the footsteps of the Italian Jannik Sinner (61) and Alexander Zverev (58) on the ATP Tour circuit . His best record in the same year is the 65 games won that he accumulated in the 2023 season.