Carlos Alcaraz return to the top in the latter part of the season?
The season of Carlos Alcaraz was full of ups and downs.
The season of Carlos Alcaraz was full of ups and downs, which did not prevent him from winning several prestigious titles.
The former number 1 in the world has won the Indian Wells Masters 1000, the French Open, the Wimbledon Championships and the silver medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024, results that certify his immense talent.
The young Spanish champion did not shine in other events of the calendar, also because of the fatigue and energy spent during the summer.
The four-time Grand Slam champion was eliminated in both Cincinnati and the US Open, where he lost to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round on the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Due to his disappointing result in New York – where he reached the semi-finals last year – Carlitos has practically no chance of finishing the year at the top of the ATP ranking.
The 21-year-old from Murcia must avoid suffering the same decline as in 2023, when he was no longer able to win titles after his extraordinary triumph at the Wimbledon Championships. Alcaraz is not particularly well on the indoor hard court, but he has plenty of time to work on his game and improve.
The Spaniard will play the Davis Cup with Spain, before helping Team Europe in the 2024 edition of the Laver Cup.
painful loss
Alcaraz was very disappointed after his early elimination at Flushing Meadows and admitted he had taken a mental step back.
In an interview during the show ‘El Hormiguero’, 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal discussed Carlos’ loss in New York: “I don’t think Carlos is mentally not strong, what he is is a little bit tired and saturated by everything he has achieved this summer. Winning Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the silver in Paris
There is a certain moment when the mind also needs a little rest because in an Olympic year the calendar is even tighter and the demands are very high. He is good enough so that comparisons don’t affect him.
He is making his way, and I think it is a very nice coincidence that after a career like the one I am having, someone like Carlos has come out. It is difficult that, from the same country, after a player like me, another comes out who is going to make history in the sport. We try to do our thing, you read things and you accept it.”
The former world number 1 dreamed of becoming the youngest ever to win five Grand Slam titles, but he will be able to try again at the 2025 Australian Open. Former ATP ace Feliciano Lopez also commented on Carlitos’ current status: “It was a huge disappointment. Nobody was expecting Carlos to lose, but he has reached this point of the season mentally exhausted.
This year, the calendar was more demanding and since Roland Garros, he has had no rest. He won Roland Garros, he won Wimbledon. He lost the final at the Olympics.
He has only had a few days of rest between Roland Garros and the US Open, so I think he was mentally and physically exhausted.
The mental pressure is something he has handled so well, but it has all come together for him now. So he needs to regroup and try and finish this season with more enthusiasm. He didn’t look like he was enjoying himself on the court. He is someone who needs to be happy to play well and he didn’t look happy in this match. He didn’t find a way to change what was happening. He was mentally gone.”
