Carlos Alcaraz states what he must do to get back to his ‘best level’
Carlos Alcaraz has enjoyed highs and endured lows since returning to tennis for the first time in four and a half months at the US Open.
Many were surprised by Alcaraz’s level at Flushing Meadows as he picked up four victories to reach the quarterfinals of the Grand Slam, before losing to Ben Shelton in five sets.
Alcaraz followed that up by winning the Japan Open, although he did not play his best tennis at the Tokyo event and he rode his luck at times.
At the Shanghai Masters, Alcaraz’s ropey form was on full display as he was beaten in straight sets by Zizou Bergs in his opening round match of the Masters tournament.
The Spaniard was set to follow up his appearance in Shanghai with an exhibition event at the Six Kings Slam, but the Saudi Arabia event was delayed until December.
Instead, Alcaraz has opted to take a Vienna Open wildcard and he has been drawn against Karen Khachanov in his opening round match of the ATP 500 event.
Speaking to media ahead of the tournament, Alcaraz has once again suggested that he is still not playing at the peak of his powers following his return.
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“I haven’t played many tournaments this year. I need competition, tournaments, and match rhythm to get back to my best level. I’m happy with my game and my current level, but I still feel I’m not quite there yet,” said the world No 3.
“I need to come here, train with these players, and compete against them to gradually regain my rhythm. I hadn’t competed for several weeks, and my team and I felt that playing here in Vienna would be a great opportunity.
“The draw is very demanding, with top players coming to participate in the tournament. I felt this would be a very important week and a great opportunity to continue improving. Five years may not seem like much, but at the same time, it’s been a very long journey for me.
“I’ve already achieved great things since the first time I played here, and I’m very proud of that. But I still feel like the same kid, with the same ambitions and the same dreams. I was out of competition for five months.
“My behavior during that time, my determination to recover as quickly as possible, and my mental attitude towards the injury are also important. I don’t feel any pressure because I’m simply myself, both on and off the court.
“I’m very happy that children and many other people see me as a good example. I’ll try to keep doing the same because that’s who I am.”
Alcaraz has has also been drawn in the same side of the draw as the likes of Jakub Mensik, Daniil Medvedev, and Tommy Paul, so he will have to be at his best to get through to the latter stages of the tournament.
His most likely second round opponent, should he beat Khachanov, is Nikoloz Basilashvili, who most recently reached the final of the Almaty Open.
In the quarterfinals, Alcaraz could play either Luciano Darderi or Paul, while his most likely opponent in the semifinals looks to be Medvedev.
Should Alcaraz reach the final, he could be set to play the next world No 1, Alexander Zverev.
