Carlos Alcaraz is probably the best clay-court player on the ATP tour right now. Having won nine titles on the surface, including the 2024 French Open, Alcaraz, who became a Monte-Carlo Masters champion for the first time this year, arrived in Barcelona to bid for his third title in the tournament.
The four-time Grand Slam champion, however, was not happy with this performance. In the first round, he took a 1-0 head-to-head lead over America’s Ethan Quinn with a 6-2, 7-6(6) victory. Then in the following round, Alcaraz eliminated Serbia’s Laslo Djere 6-2, 6-4 to improve his head-to-head record to 2-0.
For the analysis, we focus on ourselves, on what I did wrong, what I did right. There was a little disconnect in the second set, it gave me a little drop in energy. Even though the result shows that the match was comfortable, there are many things I can improve for the next match. Maybe I was too passive at times, you always have to move forward.
Alcaraz has a difficult match ahead of him as he is pitted against fifth seed Alex de Minaur. The upcoming match will be their fourth overall encounter and the second meeting of the season following the Rotterdam Open final, which Alcaraz won to become a champion in the indoor hard court for the first time in his career. While Alcaraz is chasing his third title of the season, the Aussie, the winner of nine titles, is yet to win his first.
Carlos Alcaraz feels one-week Masters 1000 tournaments are best for tennis
Carlos Alcaraz, like many tennis players, is not at all a fan of the hectic schedule. He has spoken about how not getting enough time between tournaments affects his performance.
In Barcelona, the 21-year-old lamented the lack of rest after winning the Monte Carlo Masters as he played the final on April 13, and a couple of days later, he was scheduled to play his first-round match in Barcelona. After winning the match against Laslo Djere, Alcaraz explained why he advocates for the weeklong Masters 1000 tournaments.
One-week tournaments are better. Some might think that two-week tournaments offer rest days, but that’s not the case. You train, you have to mentally prepare for the match, plan for it…you don’t really rest. It’s two full weeks. That’s why I prefer the one-week Masters 1000. For me, it’s better for tennis.
Carlos Alcaraz said at the press conference
Prior to the Monte Carlo Masters, Alcaraz participated in the two-week Indian Wells and Miami Open, where he suffered defeats. He lost to eventual winner Jack Draper in the California desert, while in the Miami Open, he succumbed to a defeat in his first match.
Carlos Alcaraz wants the Grand Slam tournaments to pay more prize money to the players
Alcaraz was one of the top 20 players who signed a letter to the Grand Slam tournaments to demand a better share of the profits. He said that though tennis is a well-paid sport, the players deserve to be paid more.
Carlos Alcaraz (3)
Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)
Tennis is a well-paid sport, but it can always be improved because there is a percentage that can be increased for the circuit and the players.
Carlos Alcaraz said (H/T: Marca)
Alcaraz, however, didn’t support the lawsuit filed by the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) against the tennis bodies. The PTPA, founded by Novak Djokovic and Canada’s Vasek Pospisil, claimed that over 250 players had backed their lawsuit. But Alcaraz and other top players across Men’s and Women’s tennis denied having any idea about the same until it was made public.