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Back to competition this week in Buenos Aires, the world number one is ambitious but knows that he still has to improve and find his rhythm.
The world of tennis had left him after a defeat by withdrawal in the quarterfinals of the Rolex Paris Masters against Holger Rune in November 2022. What seemed like a precaution at first was a rib injury that kept him out of the Turin Masters. The Spaniard was supposed to be back for the Australian Open but suffered another injury in training just before Melbourne. “This time, it’s the semimembranosus muscle in my right leg,” he explained on Twitter. This time, he is back for good in Buenos Aires, on clay. He will make his debut against Fabio Fognini or Laslo Djere.
“It’s been four months since it happened. But I always arrive thinking about winning and wanting to win, even if it will not be easy after such a long period without competition,” admitted the world number two in a press conference. He came a few days earlier than other players to quickly get into the rhythm. The winner of the last US Open trained with Italian Lorenzo Musetti.
While he is very satisfied with his year 2022, which included his first Grand Slam title, the Spaniard is aware of his room for improvement: “After becoming number one, I had to set new goals, new things for the long term, to continue to have fun, to continue to improve, because I am very young and I have a lot of things to improve, despite being number one. You have to keep training and looking forward,” he explains.
ALCARAZ WANTS TO BE INSPIRED BY THE BIG 3
In 2022, Carlos Alcaraz, also proof of his huge season, has offered Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the same tournament, in Madrid, in the quarters and semifinals respectively. It is on these players that the native of El Palmar wants to emulate.
“Rafa, Roger and Djokovic, when they were young, they were so good, but over time they have improved. I’m sure I have to keep improving. Achieving my dream very quickly took me by surprise, so to speak. Now I’m used to it, I have a goal, I know where I want to go, what I want to be, and that’s the most important thing,” said the senior.
In the very short term, what he wants to be is the winner of the Buenos Aires tournament in a week. At the same time, if he wins, he would imitate Juan Carlos Ferrero, his coach, who won the trophy here in 2010, beating a certain David Ferrer in the final.
