Carlos Alcaraz qualified for the 3rd round of the Shanghai Rolex Masters, beating the young rising star Juncheng Shang, idol of the Chinese crowd.
Thanks to this victory, the young Spaniard continued a streak of 10 consecutive victories, following the shocking elimination in the 2nd round of the US Open, and which occurred between the Davis Cup, Laver Cup, the ATP tournaments in Beijing and Shanghai.
First victory in Shanghai! 💪🏻🤩 @SH_RolexMasters
📸 Getty pic.twitter.com/3ou98hZ1mG
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) October 5, 2024
At the press conference, Carlitos analyzed both his victory against Shang and his current physical condition.
“With Shang we will share the court more and more often. We will train in the future and play important matches, I’m sure of it. He will become a top player. I had a few weeks in which I worked hard, also on a physical level, to still feel good in this competition. I’m just trying to have joy and enjoy my time on the court, playing good points and rallies. I feel great on the court and physically. For me and my tennis, it’s really important to feel that way. I’m hitting the ball really well. I’m a guy who tries to keep the positives in mind. For example, in the American swing, it didn’t go as I expected and I had more time to prepare well in this part of the season,” he told
Carlos Alcaraz signs the camera after beating Shang in Shanghai:
“Long time I don’t sign the camera” 😂 pic.twitter.com/2GumBrgPLk
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 5, 2024
The young Spaniard then talked about his next opponent in Shanghai, Yibing Wu.
“He’s won an ATP title, I know he plays well. He just beat Jarry 6-2, 6-1 and he did it impressively, I have to be very focused on this match. I will watch the match he played yesterday here in Shanghai, just to see what his level is and face the challenge in the best possible way,” said Alcaraz.
Alcaraz after beating Shang in Shanghai
“Your opponent is younger than you. Perhaps the best of his age. How important is it for you to show the next generation who’s the boss?”
*Carlos laughs*
Carlos: “I’m not used to playing against players younger than me. But I’m just glad… pic.twitter.com/5tomVojtAQ
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 5, 2024
Alcaraz rips the tennis schedule
No sooner had he celebrated the title won in Beijing than Carlos Alcaraz immediately had to reach Shanghai for the eighth ATP Masters 1000 of the season. The Spaniard has expressed his harsh point of view on the busy schedule that characterizes the ATP Tour on several occasions and, during the Media Day in Shanghai, he returned to talk about the subject, explaining everything he had to do in a short time after the China Open final.
“I have said it many times, the tennis schedule is very busy. We have to get used to it. Yesterday we finished a three-hour match late and then I didn’t have time to do anything else. I arrived at the club before the match with all the bags, because I knew that after the final we would have to take the plane immediately.
We arrived at four in the morning in Shanghai to try to sleep a little more and get used to the playing conditions. This is the schedule: we have to travel from one tournament to another. It’s difficult. I only slept six hours. Now I’m going to rest, I think I need it. Tomorrow I’ll start training and on Saturday I’ll try to play my best,” Alcaraz said, before dwelling on the path he followed after the tournaments played in the United States.
“After the American season, I had a month to train. I played the Davis Cup and the Laver Cup, events that helped me recover energy and find new motivation. I love playing team competitions. They helped me find joy on the court again.
I came to Asia with a lot of energy and I want to enjoy every single second. It was a fantastic month of preparation and now I’m ready for the next tournaments,” he explained.
Alcaraz d. Shang 6-2 6-2
After playing one of the matches of the year two days ago to win the title in Beijing, Carlos cruises in his Shanghai opener.
10th consecutive win.
Safe to say he’s back in peak Carlitos form.
✅49th win of 2024
Run & take cover. 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/brngMrs9OI
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 5, 2024
Off and running 🏃♂️@carlosalcaraz gets the better of Shang 6-2 6-2 to kickstart his 2024 #RolexShanghaiMasters campaign.@SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/PMyIYd7wcN
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 5, 2024