Carlos Alcaraz recently showcased his talent at the ‘Six Kings Slam’ in Saudi Arabia, where he managed to defeat none other than Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. However, the young Spanish sensation fell short in the final against his fierce competitor, Jannik Sinner. Despite the setback, Alcaraz has bounced back to form after a rough patch post-Olympics, highlighted by his early exit at the US Open.
Struggling to regain his momentum following a tough loss to Novak Djokovic at the Olympics, Alcaraz admitted the challenge of returning to his peak level of play. The Davis Cup and Laver Cup proved instrumental in his resurgence, paving the way for his impressive performance at the ATP 500 in Beijing. In a thrilling match against Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz staged a remarkable comeback from 0-3 down in the decisive tiebreak to claim his fourth title of the year.
While Alcaraz made a quarterfinal exit at the Masters 1000 in Shanghai, he opted to skip the ATP 500 in Basel to recharge for the upcoming tournaments. His sights are now set on the Masters 1000 in Paris-Bercy, the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, and the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.
In a heartwarming gesture, Alcaraz took a moment to praise Dominic Thiem, who is set to retire after the upcoming tournament in Vienna. Recalling his brother’s admiration for Thiem, Alcaraz shared, “My little brother played tennis and was a big fan of Dominic Thiem. He played with Thiem’s racket, not mine! So he was always watching Dominic’s games, and my brother would often say to me, ‘I want to play like Dominic Thiem. I want to play like him, with the same racket and the same style’.”
The ongoing season has once again witnessed Alcaraz’s stellar performance, maintaining his intense rivalry with Jannik Sinner. Despite their thrilling clashes in 2024, the young stars have yet to meet in a Grand Slam final or a Masters 1000 showdown, leaving fans eagerly anticipating their next epic encounter on the court.
