Carlos Alcaraz downplays the impact of exhibitions

Carlos Alcaraz just arrived BeijingHe will try to do better than the semi-finals he reached last year (he lost that year). Jannik Sinner (in two sets). The former world number 1, who did not shine in American tournaments and lost in the second round at the US Open, gave signs of awakening in the tournament. Davis Cup and in Laver CupTeam Europe achieved victory over Team World in the match held at the Uber Arena in Berlin.

The four-time Grand Slam champion has had his ups and downs this season, finishing first in 1997. French Open And Wimbledon Championships confirms that he is a true destiny. Carlitos also won the silver medal in 2024 Paris OlympicsAn extraordinary result for a 21-year-old player.

The Spanish ace wants to finish 2024 better than last year, having suffered some very painful defeats in the last part of the season. The 21-year-old from Murcia is working to be more consistent throughout the year, otherwise it will be difficult for him to overtake his great rival Sinner in the ATP rankings. Despite winning two Majors each in 2024, the Italian ace More than 4000 points ahead The Spanish champions. The 23-year-old from San Candido’s greater regularity has made the difference, while Alcaraz has suffered some dips at certain times of the season.

Alcaraz in Beijing

The former world No. 1, who played a decisive role in Team Europe’s victory at the Laver Cup in Berlin, had complained that the ATP calendar made the season too long and tiring. Alexander Zverev agreed with himWorld number 1 Jannik Sinner said that players will be able to choose which tournaments they will participate in throughout the year.

Ahead of the start of the Beijing ATP 500, the current World No. 3 explained his perspective again: “I am energized right now, I am motivated to come to China to play good tennis. I will try to win the tournament, as I have done in all the tournaments I have participated in,” Carlos began. “I know that many players will not be on my side regarding the calendar complaints, but others will be, it depends on each one. For example, Jannik Sinner also attended the press conference here and he hardly complained. Speaking for myself, the calendar is very tight from the first week of January to the last week of November… Something needs to be done about this. I see many people talking about my calendar because I have had many exhibitions, but we need to separate the calendar and the exhibitions. These are different things.

Carlitos also commented on the Laver Cup: “It was a good feeling. We are all going to win the Laver Cup and we wanted to win it again after dominating Team World for the last two years. It was a good achievement for me. It’s a good tournament, being with players who are usually opponents, feeling their energy while playing is an incredible experience for me. I played well, It gave me more confidence to come here.“Even though it’s a tough draw, I’m ready to get a good result.”

A thorny subject

The ATP schedule is very tough, as the season starts in January and ends at the end of November for players who qualify for the Davis Cup Finals. Sinner, the two-time Grand Slam champion and World No. 1, invited other players to make definitive choices: “Yes, the schedule is quite long these years, but players can still choose what to play and what not to play. Of course, we have some mandatory events. As a player, you can still make choices, I think that’s how it is. We have a very tight schedule this year, there are many tournaments, but You don’t have to participate in a tournament. You can join if you want, if you don’t want, you can’t. For example, I didn’t join some tournaments last year and this year because I wanted to train. There are some decisions behind thisBut in general the season is quite long, so sometimes it is not easy.”

Alcaraz is in second place in Beijing due to Sascha Zverev forfeiting his victory after the Laver Cup, and a possible clash with Sinner could only happen in the final, The organisers hope to witness another chapter of their spectacular competitionThe Spanish ace is in the same draw corner as Daniil Medvedev, who reached the final in Beijing last year. The Russian champion has failed to win a title this year and is trying to return to his best form.