Carlos Alcaraz reached the round of 16 at the Masters 1000 in Shanghai without losing a single set. The former world number 1 has confirmed that he is feeling much better than a month ago and the tennis he is playing certifies this. The young Spanish ace has just won the ATP 500 in Beijing and intends to extend his winning streak, perhaps winning his second Masters 1000 in 2024.
The four-time Grand Slam champion has confirmed once again this year that he is a fated man, becoming the youngest ever to win the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships in the same season. Carlitos could have made his 2024 even more memorable by winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, but his run stopped just a step away from the finish line against Serbian legend Novak Djokovic.
The current world number 2 suffered a lot from that loss, disappointing expectations in Cincinnati and especially at the US Open. The 21-year-old from Murcia admitted that the Davis Cup and Laver Cup were very useful to allow him to regain confidence and energy in view of the last part of the season.
Alcaraz shows his bag
In the run-up to 2024, the four-time Grand Slam champion will play the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000, the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin and the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. Alcaraz gives the feeling that he is having a great time in Shanghai and to be very confident for the continuation of his tournament. The Spanish champion had two days of rest after his victory against Wu due to rain. Meanwhile, the former world number one revealed what he puts in his tennis bag in a very funny video.
🎾 Carlos Alcaraz bag check in the new Shanghai Babolat Experience Center pic.twitter.com/6Qbu0iuEKj
— Zain (@ItzzZain10) October 7, 2024
Carlitos will return to action tomorrow against French veteran Gael Monfils, who defeated him in their last match at Cincinnati this summer. Monfils beat his compatriot Ugo Humbert in the French derby in a battle lasting over two hours and won this nice challenge. Gael spoke at a press conference after his third consecutive victory and despite the 38-year-old tennis expert has no intention of giving up, here are his statements: “It will be a really hard challenge, it’s one of those games that I like to play at this stage of my career, against a great tennis player. Carlos is becoming a legend and for me it will be beautiful and it will be an honor to share the court with him“.
Monfils won the last previous one a couple of months ago, always on concrete, but he was very clear about his chances of winning: “Win the match? No, I think he’ll beat me, I think he’ll win 100%, last time I was lucky. He didn’t play well and I played very well, but his level is incredible. As I said before it’s becoming a legend and I think it will crush me, I’ll try to do my best to play a good game, then it is obvious that I want to go on the field with the right attitude. If I have to be honest, I think he will win 99%, I only have 1% of victory. I’ll enjoy it but he is really special, he’s different from the others”.
Carlitos is feeling good
The two-time Wimbledon champion is showing much better tennis than a month and a half ago and will be heavily favored against the French ace. Despite the season being in its last part, Alcaraz said he felt very good physically: “Well, I’m feeling great. Honestly, I’m feeling some pain in some part of the body, but what is normal for tennis player, you know, we have to deal with it. I’m feeling great.
I think we both have different style on the court. I mean, today he played a really intense match, long rallies, long match. So, for me the last two matches has been not really tough physically, you know, in terms of physically. So, I’m just feeling great, really happy to have a day off to recover, to practice a little bit and take it easy and be ready for the next round.”
One of the main goals of the 21 year old from Murcia is to finish the season as the world number 2. Alcaraz had not shone in the last part of the season in 2023, so he will have a chance to earn additional points from here until the end of the season. His focus is on the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin and the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, where Rafa Nadal will also be present at less than shocking surprises.