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Carlos Alcaraz is a tennis player who speaks for himself. Although many expected the US Open to be a great opportunity for the Spaniard to take his career to the next level, it has turned out to be a step back for him. At just 21 years old, Alcaraz has much work to do as he looks to address the challenges and setbacks revealed during this tournament.
Carlos Alcaraz suffered a surprising defeat in the second round of the US Open, losing to the 74th-ranked player, Botic van de Zandschulp, with scores of 1-6, 5-7, 4-6. Despite his previous dominant performances, this loss revealed vulnerabilities and issues that surfaced during the tournament.
Fans believed that this tournament was a great opportunity for the world’s third-ranked player to achieve success, but it’s clear that Alcaraz will need to work on many aspects of his game in the coming period. A defeat to a player of this level is not what fans have come to expect from the Spanish star.
Alcaraz admitted that he had taken a mental step back and couldn’t identify the cause of his poor performance. He felt he lost control and struggled to manage the overwhelming emotions during the match. Although he had also shown signs of struggle in the first round against Li Tu, where he dropped a set, this early exit was unexpected.
“Right now, I feel like I’ve taken steps backwards mentally and I don’t understand why. I’ve had a spectacular summer at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. I left those tournaments saying that I’d taken a step forward mentally. I’d realised that to win big things, to win Grand Slam titles, you have to be mentally strong."- he said, as quoted by ATP.
This defeat means Alcaraz will lose 670 ATP points and drop in the rankings, allowing Alexander Zverev to overtake him. With Jannik Sinner now firmly out of reach for the top spot, the impact of Alcaraz’s performance on his career is important. He stressed that he had to deal with internal conflicts and emotions he couldn’t control and will need to learn from this experience.
“It’s been a very emotional summer, very demanding... I’ve had my moments of disconnection, but I think I’m still learning about myself. Maybe, as a person, I need more time. I have to get to know myself, what I need. Maybe I’m the kind of person who, with a calendar like that, demands too much of himself mentally. I have to see exactly what’s going on.”-he continued.
Alcaraz’s exit, along with earlier losses by Stefanos Tsitsipas and Denis Shapovalov, has cleared the path to the final for Jannik Sinner, the new world No. 1, though with a blemish from a recent doping scandal. Sinner will face one of the remaining contenders, whether it be van de Zandschulp, Draper, Goffin, Moutet, de Minaur, Evans, Arnaldi, or Thompson.
Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner, who faced immense pressure following a doping scandal, now appears to have a clear path to success. The Italian has quickly transitioned from dealing with negative emotions to embracing a more positive outlook. At 23 years old, Sinner is intent on making massive changes in the near future, and his potential remains to be fully realized. He has repeatedly demonstrated throughout his career that he is a player of great quality.
Interestingly, this US Open is the first Grand Slam tournament since 1999 where no Spanish players have reached the third round. Back then, Carlos Moya, Galo Blanco, and Fernando Vicente failed to advance past the second round. This year, Alejandro Davidovich, Albert Ramos, Pablo Carreño, and Jaume Munar were eliminated in the first round, while Roberto Bautista, Pedro Martinez, Roberto Carballés, and Alcaraz fell in the second round.
The Spaniard expressed that he isn't ready to make any statements about his situation at the moment, as he feels it could be premature. He mentioned that he needs to consult with those close to him, including his team and advisors, to determine the next steps. While he realizes that there are upcoming tournaments, he prefers not to focus on them right now.
The most important thing for Carlos Alcaraz right now is to take a break, reflect on his mistakes, and steer his career in the right direction. At 21 years old, he has repeatedly shown his ability to bounce back from various challenges, so a similar comeback is expected this time as well.
Many believe that his loss at the Olympics may have affected his motivation and confidence, but Alcaraz is determined to emerge from this situation as a winner and demonstrate his qualities to the world.
English (US)