TENNIS
Alcaraz: “I’m different since I got injured”
The Spanish star won his second Grand Slam tournament after suffering one of the most painful moments in his career at the French Open.
Carlos Alcaraz has become the new tennis icon. All the attention has focused on the Murcia native, especially after lifting his second Grand Slam tournament trophy in Wimbledon.
While many saw in Carlitos the best prospect to eventually replace ‘The Big Three’ after his US Open win last year, Juan Carlos Ferrero’s star player has confirmed that the sport is in good hands with his impressive performances on the court and his charisma and humility when he’s not holding a racket.
Even after becoming the Wimbledon champion, his opponent, Novak Djokovic, admitted that Alcaraz had the best of him, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, and praised the Spaniard by saying he had never faced a player like him.
A lesson that changed Alcaraz
Only a few weeks ago, both Alcaraz and Djokovic faced each other at the French Open semifinals. The Serb took the lead by winning the first set, but Alcaraz won the second one to tie the match.
When the 20-year-old player seemed to have changed the dynamics of the clash, he suffered a severe cramping episode that affected his game, leading Djokovic to a comfortable win after that.
Although it was a huge blow for young Carlos at that moment, he learned a lot from that experience and made him mentally stronger in Wimbledon.
“Since I got injured at Roland Garros, I am a different player. I learned a lot from what happened and that allowed me to approach this Wimbledon final in a very different way. I have learned that I am ready to play epic matches with legends of this sport on the most important stages in the world”, he said to Spanish radio station Cadena COPE.
Alcaraz makes his debut in the Hopman Cup alongside Rebeka Masarova on Friday and will start preparing for the hard-court events after that to be ready to defend his US Open crown in August.