Carlos Alcaraz hard-nosed: "Stop listening to others". Message to Jannik Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz sweeps away the criticism thanks to his first career victory in the Monte Carlo Masters 1000, a success that will allow him to return to second place in the ATP rankings next Monday. The Murcia tennis player responded indirectly in a press conference to all the accusations rained on him after defeats in recent months. “I don’t want to say that I have wronged anyone, I simply realized that I don’t have to listen to what is being said around. I want to focus on me, on my team, on my people. I want to play for me”.

A new maturity, the result of the difficulties faced. Carlos’ smile, sincere and light, however, hides recent scars. “It’s been a tough few months, I haven’t won as expected, but I don’t feel I have to prove anything to anyone. This week I learned to focus on what really matters”.

“In the beginning I made a lot of mistakes, tactically I was not playing well: I would go on his best shot and end up missing right away. I had to change. I lengthened the exchanges, looked for rhythm, avoided errors. And then I started to feel inside the match.” Musetti’s injury midway through the second set took some of the pathos out of the conclusion not affecting the esteem for the Italian: “I’m not surprised by his level. I know how hard he works, and I’m sure we will see him again in many more important finals. Top 10? It is only a matter of time”.

Alcaraz has realized that he doesn&#8217t have to be crushed by other people&#8220s expectations: “People want me to win everything, but I just have to think about being happy, walking off the court proud. I learned that it’s not the result that matters, but how I live each match. To win Monte Carlo 11 times like Rafa Nadal? Impossible (laughs). I just won the first one, let’s see how many will come. But even if it remains the only one, I will be happy anyway”.

Message to Jannik Sinner: “Do people want to see us in the finals in Paris? Maybe they do, but I have learned not to think about it. If it happens, it will be nice. But now I just want to keep having fun”.

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Carlo Galati