Carlos Alcaraz returns to Spain after taking several steps forward | ATP Tour

Carlos Alcaraz

Alcaraz returns to Spain after taking several steps forward

The Spaniard won the title in Indian Wells and reached the quarterfinals in Miami

March 30, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz lost in the Miami quarterfinals against Grigor Dimitrov.
By ATPTour.com/es Staff

Carlos Alcaraz is already in Murcia to rest a few days before preparing for the European clay court tour. After heading to Buenos Aires at the beginning of February, the No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings returns home almost two months later, surely in need of recharging his batteries, but with the peace of mind of having taken a step forward. That change was cooked up in Indian Wells and then found continuity in Miami, despite the Spaniard’s defeat with Grigor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals.

“I got a lot of things out of the match against Zverev in Australia,” Alcaraz explained in Miami. “Afterwards I had regular weeks, without being on the court, without finding my game and having little fun. I have tried to do things to feel better off the court, doing things that I like with my family, things that calm me down. For example, golf in Indian Wells. I played almost every day and that helped me a lot. Indian Wells was a turning point and right now I am calm, I feel good, wanting to improve and add hours on the track.”

As Alcaraz explained, losing to Zverev in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the season, hurt him, something he paid for in the following weeks.

Alcaraz said goodbye in the Buenos Aires semifinals against Nicolás Jarry, without being able to defend his champion title, and suffered a fall in his debut in Rio de Janeiro (against Thiago Monteiro) that caused a grade II sprain in his right ankle. forcing him to arrive between cottons for his debut in the first ATP Masters 1000 of the season in Indian Wells.

In the Californian desert, the champion of two Grand Slam titles found the springboard he needed. Thus, Alcaraz took advantage of his time away from the court, training and matches, to play golf with his team, quality free time that soon had consequences on his path in the Coachella Valley.

Alcaraz broke down several barriers in Indian Wells, where he ended up lifting the title. To be crowned, the Spaniard beat four rivals with whom he had lost the Lexus ATP Head2Head (Felix Auger-Aliassime, Fabian Marozsan Zverev and Jannik Sinner), in addition to beating Daniil Medvedev in the grand final.

Consequently, Alcaraz managed to defend the title and arrived in Miami with confidence through the roof, playing his best tennis in many months (“since summer,” he himself confessed after his debut). Despite losing in the quarterfinals against an impeccable Dimitrov, the Murcian left with the feeling of having recovered the best version of himself, key before the arrival of the clay season.

“The truth is that it has been a very positive month here in the United States, winning Indian Wells and feeling how I felt,” Alcaraz said before returning to Spain. “And here in Miami I have played good tennis despite today [el jueves, ante Dimitrov]. That is already very positive.”

Alcaraz will begin his European clay court tour at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters starting April 6.