Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz explained his time on the training court after reaching the final of the Monte Carlo tournament, where he will face Jannik Sinner who, despite not being on his favorite surface, is capable of performing at a high level.
“Today I didn’t hit the ball as well as I wanted, and I didn’t get a couple of serves right at the end. The best thing I could do was spend 20 minutes practicing and arrive with the best feeling,” he said at a press conference this Saturday.
The Murcian beat the local Valentin Vacherot in the semifinals and served the 17th duel against Sinner. “I have watched his matches throughout the tournament, I know that he has been improving, that he is doing well. There will be 17 direct duels, I will be ready, and we will prepare for the match, but we cannot give clues,” he stated.
“He has said it, that the clay is not his favorite, but his level on clay is very good. It does not mean that he plays badly. I feel more comfortable, it is more natural for my tennis, but I can still lose. I know that I have to play my best tennis. There are no favorites, it depends on who gives their best,” he added.
On the other hand, Alcaraz valued the dominance of both on the circuit. “We don’t talk about that. There are players who make jokes about it. I just try to do my best, just like Jannik,” he said, before being asked about the importance of playing on different surfaces.
“I think it is good for tennis to have different surfaces, but on hard courts they should have the same speed. Having different surfaces, different styles of tennis, is very good. As a top player, you have to use those conditions. A true champion is the one who can play very well on all surfaces,” he concluded.