Carlos Alcaraz’s level is growing after his premature elimination at the 2024 US Open, which has taken away almost all chance of finishing the season at the top of the ATP ranking. Although Team Europe lags behind Team World on the eve of the last day of the 2024 Laver Cup, the former world number 1 showed a great performance yesterday against dangerous American ace Ben Shelton at the Uber Arena in Berlin.
Carlos Alcaraz© YouTube screenshot
The young Spanish champion played a great match and impressed the crowd with some spectacular shots, which were also applauded by Swiss legend Roger Federer. The four-time Grand Slam champion needed this atmosphere to regain his senses after a difficult period, which began with his defeat against Serbian legend Novak Djokovic in the final of the Paris Olympics.
The 21-year-old from Murcia wants to close 2024 well, with his main goals being the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin and the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. The current number 3 in the world will also play the ATP 500 in Beijing and the Masters 1000 in Shanghai, before flying to Saudi Arabia for the prestigious ‘Six Kings Slam’ along with other top players. Carlitos wants to have fun and entertain fans, who love his style of play and hope to see him win many more titles.
Alcaraz’s level is growing
Alcaraz is certainly one of the most beloved players by fans thanks to his charisma and his style of play full of amazing solutions. Alcaraz gave Team Europe a big hand by beating Ben Shelton in the singles with the result of 6-4 6-4. The Spaniard had not started his Laver Cup adventure well in doubles, losing the match against Alexander Zverev from the American duo composed by Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe. Yesterday things went better and there was a nice version of Spanish, as it had not happened in a long time, after the dark period after the Olympics.
Carlos Alcaraz and Bjorn Borg© @carlosalcaraz X account
“It was a really tough match, very solid on both sides. I’m happy to have won because the level of this competition is very high. Against him it is very important to play well because he has an incredible service and is a very unpredictable player, suddenly you need a second service at 220, it’s crazy. I knew I would have my chances if I stayed there and tried to attack with the forehand. I think I did well”, he explained.
The Spanish champion is back to talk about the period of decline experienced in recent months: “It has been a tough season, I played less tournaments than other players, but many matches. The seasons are long physically and mentally, and these tournaments make me feel like myself again on the court. There are few commitments at the end of the year, but I can’t wait to feel better little by little”.
The four-time Slam champion has given his opinion on a schedule which many of his colleagues say is too busy. Carlos shared their thoughts: “Many believe this is a good calendar, but others think there are many mandatory tournaments and probably more in the years to come. In a way, they’re killing us. Now there are many injuries due to the calendar and other things, but at some point there will be players who have to skip tournaments because they have to take care of their body, family and another life besides tennis,” he said.
Carlitos is very popular
The four-time Grand Slam champion has played an excellent 2024 despite recent disappointments. The 21-year-old from Murcia became the youngest player ever to win the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships in the same year, demonstrating a truly amazing completeness.
Carlos Alcaraz and Roger Federer© @LaverCup X account
During the Laver Cup, ATP ace Casper Ruud paid tribute to Carlitos: “I can only say good things about Carlos. I had the opportunity to spend time with him this week, he is a fantastic man. What he does is incredible, having a young guy like him is great news for tennis. He is capable of doing incredible things on the court, he has a talent rarely seen in this sport and I have a lot of admiration for him because what he does is spectacular. I hope he continues to improve and that he is able to beat him in the future, but I also hope that he continues to have a lot of success for many years to come.”
The former world number 1 is highly appreciated by his colleagues even off the tennis court, having always maintained an uncommon humility despite his successes. Alcaraz and Sinner are really two perfect ambassadors for this sport.