Masters Cup 2025: Alcaraz, two wins, still work to do: “From the outside, everything looks easier than it really is” | Tennis | Sports

Around midnight, Carlos Alcaraz and his team watched Lorenzo Musetti’s comeback against Alex de Mignar, then turned off the television and left. Although he had previously done his homework against Taylor Fritz in the first round, he was unable to secure a spot in the Masters Cup semi-finals due to the result of the night game and will now have to defeat the Italian on Thursday (8:30 p.m., Movistar Plus) to avoid a potentially dangerous numerical clash. He has it in hand, but what looked good on the surface – something that would have given the Australian a direct qualification if he won – ended up being tainted. Play against local tennis players in the evening.

But that situation doesn’t seem to worry him as much as the fact that he never quite found the right feel in the first and part of the second set against Fritz. Although the final percentage was positive, Alcaraz struggled for a long time with his serve and suffered from the oppressive reaction of his rivals to the rest, which prevented him from achieving good results. feeling From the first day, he connected his batting and put together a game. Although the statistics reflect a good level of first shot efficiency of 64% and retention rate of 47 winning shots of 74%, the tennis player took on a serious tone of fatigue during his presentation in the conference room. “I have to focus on playing well.”

They immediately asked the Murcian player about his chances of remaining number one at the end of the tournament, and therefore of the course. This is the second time in his career that he has achieved this, following his success in 2022. But even though Alcaraz was tired, he still seemed to be thinking about his performance against the American. He had already slipped it on the court a few hours earlier and was still warm. “I have to focus on feeling better than I felt today. Shots, serves and overall a little bit better. I wasn’t as comfortable as I was the first day.” That was my impression. Comebacks are valuable and are the ultimate discovery of tactical solutions. I also have a lump in my throat.

“I was able to overcome a very difficult moment and achieve a very important victory,” he said. “In a tennis match, everything can change at any time. When you are on the court, you do not think about what will happen, but rather concentrate on the present. If you do not have a good feeling, it is hard to believe that it will arrive, and from the outside everything looks easier than it really is. But I have found that if you insist on and maintain a good attitude, whether in today’s match or in any other match, everything will improve in the end and you will play much better in the end, ” added the El Palmer player. Control over time. He sustained himself thanks to survival instinct and some key strategic adjustments.

local enthusiasm

From the beginning he delayed his position on the return with the aim of gaining depth in the delivery so that Fritz would fall back and lose the initiative. And furthermore, he added more effectiveness to his striking and distanced himself from the flat struggle the American had been putting up for more than an hour and a half. This is how it was maintained and how the scenario of battles with many physical sacrifices changed. A subsequent meeting with journalists was scheduled well in advance, almost two hours after his decision, but ultimately took place 30 minutes later, at 7:20 p.m. At this point the cause responded transcendently to the recovery process.

From the retreat to the locker room, Alcaraz put himself in the hands of shaman Juanjo Moreno. Not wanting to waste a single second, I met with a physical trainer and physical therapist to try to alleviate the damage caused by the intense commitments. “It was a very tough match physically, and mentally as well. And today the conditions were different. It felt very hot and humid… and that affected me during the long matches. It’s difficult to recover, but the good thing is that I have a day to spare before the next match. I will do everything perfectly, millimeter by millimeter, to arrive in the best condition and help the team,” he said.

Highlighting the exhaustion of effort and concentration, the circuit leader said: “It’s very tiring when negative thoughts don’t outweigh positive thoughts for three straight hours,” while also insisting on putting aside the temptation to focus on finishing an extraordinary season on top. “If you put too much emphasis on it, you might go into the match with extra pressure or not manage your nerves very well. I’m competing with Yannick, so if we can achieve that in the end it would be very nice, but we are more focused on focusing on the tournament.”

Now, the decisive episode with Musetti is approaching, along with its attendants. Italy is a country passionate about tennis, with federation licenses increasing by 136% between 2019 and 2024, and the Federation Club Network (FITP) growing by nearly 30% over the same period. And Inalpi Arena will be dedicated to the players during the night session. “I was out of breath, but this stand gave me the energy I needed,” said Carrara, who was competing in his first Masters event. Meanwhile, De Minaur was heartbroken. 16 consecutive losses vs. top 10: “This is affecting me mentally.” And Alcaraz, who has the edge in head-to-head matches (6-1), prepares for the fight. Definitely on alert.