Alcaraz: “I was surprised by my level” | ATP Tour

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Alcaraz: “I was surprised by my level”

The Murcian talks about his debut in Madrid and his recovery from his injury

April 26, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz is the current champion of the Mutua Madrid Open.
By ATPTour.com/es Staff

Carlos Alcaraz’s goal in his Mutua Madrid Open debut was far from a triumph. The Murcian gave priority to taking care of his right forearm, an area in which he has felt discomfort in recent weeks and which made him miss Monte Carlo and Barcelona. So much so that he went out onto the court with a different way of playing, much less aggressive than always.

Still, he ended up winning. He went 6-2, 6-1 against Alexander Shevchenko. “I have always been a player who tries to hit the ball harder and harder. Playing more relaxed goes against my essence, but I’m more worried about my forearm. So I prefer to play at this intensity. And in many ways it helps me. Before, I wanted to push harder than necessary and that hurt me,” explained the champion of the last two editions in Madrid.

Although it was his first match on the ATP Tour since Miami, Alcaraz made his debut without many difficulties. He needed just 68 minutes. Just a few days ago he doubted his participation in the Caja Mágica. He now he’s in the third round.

“It was a very complete match, with a high level on my part,” added the No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings, who is seeded second this week in Madrid. “I surprised myself with the level at which I played today. But the main thing was going to be how I felt and if I was going to notice anything in my forearm. That didn’t happen and I’m happy with it.”

Despite everything, and that he is still recovering from an injury that has made him play with his forearm bandaged, Alcaraz obtained his fastest victory of the season (only counting complete games). Despite the statistics, the Spaniard is far from considering himself a candidate for the title this fortnight in Madrid.

“Right now I’m not thinking about it. I go game by game. I always want to win when I enter the track, it’s obvious, but the main thing now is not to notice anything on my forearm and enjoy. And if I feel good, then comes the game, the results, and we’ll see if I win. But for now I maintain that I want to add hours on the court and in competition without having discomfort in my forearm,” added the 20-year-old right-hander.

His next rival will be the Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild, world No. 63 and who has just defeated Roman Safiullin and Lorenzo Musetti by the same score (6-4, 6-4) in both rounds. The South American player is on the rise. Since 2023, he has added his biggest wins by beating Daniil Medvedev (Roland Garros 2023), Karen Khachanov (Indian Wells 2024) and Taylor Fritz (Miami 2024). He is now going for the biggest of his career.

“He has a lower ranking than me, but I know the ability he has,” Alcaraz analyzes about his opponent on Sunday. “He is very good, he is very aggressive, with good shots, he has beaten good people. To Musetti, for example, that he is from the land. And he has beaten him in two sets, so that means the level he has. I’ve seen it several times. “We are going to fight it and fight it.”