Cincinnati
Alcaraz calls enjoying with Nadal ’one thing I’ll always remember’
21-year-old displays on expertise with Nadal
August 12, 2024
AFP/Getty Photographs
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz performed doubles collectively, representing Spain, on the Paris Olympics.
By Andrew Eichenholz
Carlos Alcaraz returns to the Cincinnati Open one 12 months on from a memorable championship match right here in opposition to Novak Djokovic, which he misplaced in a gruelling three hours and 49 minutes. This time, he has extra expertise in his again pocket.
The Spaniard brings with him to Mason priceless expertise from the Paris Olympics, the place he partnered Rafael Nadal within the males’s doubles. The pair misplaced within the quarter-finals to eventual silver medalists Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram of the USA.
“It was an important expertise, speaking with Rafa off the courtroom, understanding one another a lot better off the courtroom. It was an important expertise, clearly, enjoying doubles collectively. It was nice,” Alcaraz stated throughout his press convention Sunday in Cincinnati. “It was one thing that I’ll always remember, for positive. I discovered so much speaking to him on courtroom, off the courtroom as properly. I feel we performed an important tennis in doubles, even when we’re not used to enjoying doubles fairly often.
“A bit of bit disappointing on the finish, as a result of we thought that we might do it higher, however typically, we have been completely satisfied. And clearly speaking about myself, I reached my dream, my dream got here true, enjoying doubles alongside Rafa.”
Nadal has earned numerous accolades in his profession. The 38-year-old has spent 209 weeks at No. 1 within the PIF ATP Rankings, gained 22 main titles and 36 ATP Masters 1000 trophies. Alcaraz was capable of decide his countryman’s mind in Paris to be taught from all of his experiences. What recommendation from Nadal helped him probably the most?
“How you can cope with some conditions enjoying doubles. Typically after we have been down, he was there in a constructive method, speaking to me like, ‘Effectively, proper now they’ll really feel [it] with the stress. We have now to only keep there, put some balls in, attempt to get them in hassle’,” Alcaraz stated. “Some conditions, some issues that you just most likely do not see, or is tough to see, he sees very, very clear and off the courtroom, how one can put together the tough conditions or the matches. It [was] a grasp class.”
Alcaraz claimed the silver medal in singles, dropping the gold-medal match in two tie-breaks to Djokovic. The winner of Roland Garros and Wimbledon this 12 months, Alcaraz is hungry to be taught from that defeat to proceed difficult for and successful the most important tournaments.
In Cincinnati, the second seed can full the total set of American Masters 1000 titles, having already triumphed at Indian Wells and Miami.
“I at all times wish to be higher. I at all times assume that I might do it higher. Clearly, I had an important summer season: Roland Garros, Wimbledon, silver within the Olympics. Clearly, I needed the gold medal,” Alcaraz stated. “After the matches, if I win or I lose, I like to search out the unhealthy issues that I did within the matches, attempt to be higher, attempt to within the subsequent match not make the identical errors within the photographs or coping with some conditions. And that is what occurred.
“That is what I noticed within the ultimate in Paris, that I could not cope with the conditions pretty much as good as I needed, and that is what I used to be considering after the match, simply to be higher, and doubtless being tougher on myself.”
