There is a mountain ahead. An Australian Open with which the season begins, absent in any previous tournament to arrive with fully charged batteries. Carlos Alcaraz21 years old, seeks to break that little curse that haunts him in this first Grand Slam of the year since his arrival to the elite. In 2021 he fell in the second round, in the third in 2022, an injury left him without participating in 2023 and in 2024, Zverev knocked him out in the quarterfinals. But this is a more experienced Alcaraz, more evolved, because he has already done a lot in the world of tennis, but he still has a lot to learn and offer.
Among other things, learn from mistakes. And it is what he wants to improve the most in 2025. The Murcian states that he will readjust the calendar depending on how he feels physically, tennis and, above all, mentally. «I will probably cross out some exhibitions and skip some tournaments, it depends on how I am doing physically and if I feel good. What I am clear about is that I do not want to play any tournament when I am mentally tired, go there and have it be an odyssey. I want to go to tournaments and be well, enjoy playing tennis. If that doesn’t go that way, I’ll make a decision this year. The objective is to win the ‘Grand Slams’ and the Masters 1,000are the most important tournaments in the world. I hope to be at the top of the ranking, to get as close as I can to Sinner, but the main thing is to win as many ‘Grand Slams’ as I can,” he warned.
He also wanted to address the conflict that it represents for any player, and also for the fan, to observe the tight schedule and, even so, participate in exhibitions with the only incentive of money involved: «There is the debate between the players who They complain about the schedule and then go to exhibitions. I have always said that that is totally different. Taylor Fritz also said it, that in the end it is not the same to be in a tournament that is nine days of maximum mental and physical demand than an exhibition of going one day to entertain people and leaving. “It’s totally different.”
He has made changes to his racket and his tennis, as he explained: “Certain things had to be changed, certain things had to be tried. I played at a fairly low weight for what the professional circuit is, and we gained five grams. The truth is that I noticed it quite well. The most important thing for me was that I could move it as well as the racket I was playing with, that I didn’t feel anything in my arm, since there are problems with elbows, shoulders and so on. And the truth is that it was fantastic for me. I think it helps me, the ball comes out more when it has more weight and, for certain shots, the return or the serve, or certain situations, is good. “It’s something I want to try in the game, see how I feel.” And the serve is something he has given a lot of thought to this preseason: “We knew that the serve was something we had to improve, that something had to be done. This movement is much more relaxed, with the wrist more relaxed to see if I have a better rhythm, so that there is no stop when I get to the top with the racket. Everything is more fluid and I think it will help me. When you play more relaxed, you avoid many things during the game. You are not so stressed, which then takes its toll on your physical body. It is clear that things have to change, you can never stagnate. To always be at the highest level, you have to adapt to what they demand of you and change small things to be better and just as competitive,” he admitted.
Topuria as a reference
Another aspect that has been worked on has been the mental part. And for that, the unconditional support of his team: «Juan Carlos has been with me for six years, he knows me very well. He knows what I need during games, how to say things, it’s very important. I like being with him at tournaments. Last year I was with Samu, who is my second coach right now, and I trust him 100%. Right now he’s here in Melbourne. Having Juan Carlos here is incredible,” he said.
But there are other legs that also support and hold the four-time Grand Slam champion, such as his family, his psychologist and also Ilia Topuria: «I have not turned to anyone for advice or inspiration in difficult times. But at the ATP Finals, I spoke with Ilia Topuria. The year he’s had, the confidence… We always have moments of doubt, difficult moments, and seeing Ilia Topuria with that confidence before each fight, that confidence in himself, inspired me to not have doubts about myself, to know who I am. That self-confidence made me break down at times, I have been inspired by him.
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