Alcaraz regrets the lost opportunities in Turin | Nitto ATP Finals

Carlos Alcaraz lamented the “key moments” he couldn’t get on his side in his match against Alexander Zverev at the Nitto ATP Finals. The defeat against the German, which leaves him practically eliminated from Turin, tilted the Lexus ATP Head2Head in favor of his rival (6-5) and left him with his head in the Finals at 8 of the Davis Cup, where he will join Rafael Nadal to represent Spain.

“The tiebreaker was quite close, with many points that could have been played better,” analyzed the No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings. “At 6-5, I don’t know what idea has crossed my mind to want to volley that ball… That’s what tennis has: you have to choose in less than a second and sometimes you make a mistake. Losing the set this way hurts,” he acknowledged. “In the second, I had a 0-40 with several silly points and it was difficult for me. “I must learn from these moments because I have not taken advantage of the opportunities I have had.”

Despite starting the week dealing with an illness, Alcaraz was able to manage the days with antibiotics, rest, a nasal strip to improve breathing (which he wore again in the match against Zverev) and a lot of faith in turning things around. to the situation to aspire to be in the semifinals, as they did in 2023.

“It has been a difficult week for me, but it is a privilege to be here among the top eight in the world,” Alcaraz said. “I’m going to learn from what has happened. I have played good tennis, but today I faced one of the best. “I am disappointed with the defeat,” he continued. “One of my goals is to arrive fresher at this part of the year. He was better than last season, but not enough. “I want to be as fresh as possible mentally and enjoy each of the games.”

And how is that achieved?

“It will be impossible to arrive fresh at this part of the year, but I have to play my best tennis even if I am mentally tired,” the Spaniard started. “That’s what the good guys do. How do you improve? Going with the greatest possible enthusiasm every day to each training session. I have a spectacular team and they have a very clear vision. “They can help me and guide me in the right way in this part of the season.”