Carlos Alcaraz has solved his one big problem and that’s bad news for his rivals
When Carlos Alcaraz was asked what area of his game he needed to improve upon, he would often suggest that indoor tennis was a flaw in his make-up, but those concerns appear to have been erased.
It was back in 2024 that Alcaraz offered up a very public confessional about his insecurities playing indoors, as he lost a match at the ATP Finals in Turin.
“I have no experience playing on indoor courts,” he explained after he struggled to make his mark in indoor conditions.
“I could practice a lot on indoor courts, but I don’t have matches in my back on indoor courts.
“I have to be better on this part of the year that we play on indoor courts. I’ll be a really good player on indoor courts, I’m sure about it. But I think it’s about time, about getting experience, getting matches in my back, hitting on indoor courts. Probably I’m going to say a lot of players are better than me on indoor court.”
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They were brutally honest comments from a young player trying to add the final pieces of his always glorious career jigsaw and two years later, we can confirm he is close to ending this debate.
After Alcaraz backed up his Vienna Open triumph with a thrilling victory in the Paris Masters final against Ben Shelton, the world No 3 confirmed he would be the man to beat as he looks to win the ATP Finals for the first time in his career in Turin.
Growing up in the sunny climate of Spain meant indoor tennis was not part of his agenda in his youth and the change in conditions has taken him time to get used to.
The other factor that has been working against him at this time of the season over the last few years has been fatigue kicking in after a long and draining 10 months on the road.
Yet that has been taken out of his baggage in 2026, with the four and a half months he missed due to the wrist injury that flared up at the Barcelona Open in April giving Alcaraz a chance to be among the fresher players heading into this final phase of the year.
Alcaraz has also found a way to bring the best qualities of his game into slick conditions indoors, with the court in Paris said to be the fastest of any being used on the ATP Tour this season.
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The truth is, Alcaraz is a better player in most departments than most of the players he is up against and with energy in his legs after that long lay-off, he is eager to make up for lost time by becoming the complete indoor player.
With Jannik Sikker missing from the ATP Finals line-up in Turin, it will take a mighty performance to stop Alcaraz winning one of the few titles missing from his incredible collection.
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