Felix Auger-Aliassime will compete on clay for the first time this season when he takes to court at the Mutua Madrid Open. The Canadian, currently No. 9 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, has not played since March due to a left knee injury and was urging on the side of caution when asked about his chances at the ATP Masters 1000 event in the Spanish capital.

“My ambitions are high but my expectations are low,” Auger-Aliassime said. “In a way I hope to do really well and I’m confident that I can do it but at the same time I’m going to really expect the worst a little bit or expect that everything’s going to be really tough. I think I’ll need my max focus and concentration from the first match.

”Every match is going to be tough, so if I can get through the early rounds and get some wins behind me, hopefully I’ll get far into the tournament and play well here.”

Auger-Aliassime, who last competed in Miami one month ago, has taken his injury setback as an opportunity to rest and recharge. While he enjoyed the period, he is excited to compete again, starting against Jason Kubler or Dusan Lajovic in his opening match.

“I’m feeling better and better as the days go by,” Auger-Aliassime said. “It was tricky. I’ve played a lot of tennis since the end of the last season. I think I am just kind of paying the price a little bit [in] the past couple of weeks. But it’s part of the Tour and part of the sport.

“But it’s been good, I’ve had time to stay at home a little bit, spend time away from the Tour and the stress of just playing matches all the time. It’s kind of just relaxed me mentally, but then also [I have] trained physically. I’ve had time, which is rare to go in the gym and work on other things, work on things on the court that I wanted to improve, while doing the rehab for my knee at the same time. I think it’s been an important period. Hopefully that pays off in the weeks to come.”

The four-time tour-level champion Auger-Aliassime holds a 12-7 record on the season, with his best result a run to the semi-finals in Doha. He is making his fourth appearance in Madrid, where he advanced to the quarter-finals last year.

Editor’s note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es

Stefanos Tsitsipas’ game is always resplendent on clay courts, where the World No. 5 has forged some of the biggest achievements of his career. The slowest surface on Tour reveals the game of a special player who could well make the Mutua Madrid Open a turning point in his season.

The altitude of Madrid adds bite to a player who hits the ball aggressively and can end a point from anywhere on the playing surface. The carpet-like courts of the Spanish capital generate true bounces, making for bigger targets when a player goes for a winner, and the atmosphere of the Mediterranean city is reminiscent of the Greek’s home.

“Similarity in culture, similarity in a lot of things like food. Spain’s a very welcoming place and a very good destination for tennis,” Tsitsipas said. “I’ve always felt good playing here. “Greece hasn’t had the privilege of hosting any tennis tournaments yet. So Spain is the closest to Greece for me. That’s probably why I’ve played well here”.

In that context, Stefanos arrives in the Spanish capital having rediscovered his game, returning to the kind of form that took him to his second Grand Slam final at the Australian Open in January. With the Barcelona final still fresh in his mind, Tsitsipas is confidence personified when he sets foot in the Manolo Santana Stadium.

”It’s getting good. I’ve had a lot of matches now on clay,” Tsitsipas said. “I consider myself a candidate for this tournament in terms of having good results. The run I had in Barcelona brought me joy because after the Australian Open I didn’t go deep in tournaments. Now I’ve had a first glimpse of what it is to be strong again. Things are looking pretty bright”.

Of course, competing in Madrid means intruding in Carlos Alcaraz territory. The tournament’s defending champion, who boasts a 4-0 ATP Head2Head against the Greek, is something of a thorn in the side for Tsitsipas. Although they can only meet in the final in Madrid, it is an eventuality that Tsitsipas has in the back of his mind.

“It’s a long road to get to that point,” Tsitsipas said. “We have two weeks here. I have to practise to improve things, that’s the only way that I know to change something in the future. I don’t have any other solutions for beating a player who’s a big obstacle for me.

“Carlos is someone who works extremely hard, you can see his flexibility on the court, his speed is immense. He’s someone who has so much focus and a dedication to the sport that’s tough to find. In order to get there, I’d have to spend hours on the court practising, also hours in the gym working out and hours in my room analysing my past performances and trying to get better.”

Therefore, the possibility of reaching another final in Madrid is something of a personal challenge for Tsitsipas. One of the most respected players on the red stuff is approaching these two weeks in the Spanish capital with the mentality of a champion; looking in the mirror in search of improvement.

“I’d have to work extremely hard in every match that I play to get the result that I want. And that is a series of matches that I would have to do back-to-back in order to get to that potential final that I’m looking for,” Tsitsipas said. “A lot of players are in good shape right now, a lot of players are putting in the work. I’ve played a few matches in the last few weeks that give me a perspective of where my strong weapons are and how I can win points on clay.

”Of course, here we’re dealing with a little bit of altitude, which is a different scenario than Barcelona. I’m getting adjusted to that. It’s something that I’ve done pretty well in the past few years. I like the altitude, I think it’s good for my game. I see that as a small advantage.”

Tsitsipas arrives in Madrid fifth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. He is making his fifth appearance at the clay-court event and will open against Dominic Thiem or Kyle Edmund.

Editor’s note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es

A smile is never far from Carlos Alcaraz’s face in the Caja Magica, where one year ago he delighted the Spanish fans with an unforgettable run to the title. The Spaniard comes to the Mutua Madrid Open as one of the biggest names on Tour, an icon of Spanish sport and, in the immediate future, a man with a tremendous opportunity to defend his title in the Manolo Santana Stadium.

In the midst of a formidable season, Alcaraz arrives in Madrid with a 23-2 record in 2023, and he will be determined to strengthen his dominance on clay. After a successful defence of his crown at the ATP 500 in Barcelona, the possibility of extending his legacy at the Spanish ATP Masters 1000 is within reach.

“Physically, I feel good. I feel 100 per cent,” admitted Alcaraz on Tuesday. “I can’t wait to get going in Madrid. With the level I produced in Barcelona, winning the title, I’m coming here with a lot of confidence. We all know it’s difficult to adapt to Madrid, but we have a few days before we start. I really can’t wait.”

A year ago, the 19-year-old wrote a story that shook the circuit to its core. With a brave and confident brand of tennis, his wins over Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev allowed him to claim the trophy with a display of dominance rarely seen on Tour. However, this time around, the absence of Nadal and Djokovic will not mean the Spaniard is about to let his guard down.

“Any player can win the title… I don’t feel like the favourite, or anything of the sort, we always take it match by match,” Alcaraz said.

With the @MutuaMadridOpen main draw starting tomorrow, we take a look back at the incredible run to last year’s title by @carlosalcaraz

1/4 final vs Nadal #Steal at 51% 💪
1/2 final vs Djokovic #Steal 41% & #Conversion 72%
Final vs Zverev #Steal 51% & #Conversion 86% 🤯… pic.twitter.com/NUJWGyD8p5

— Tennis Insights (@tennis_insights) April 25, 2023

The sentiment around the city of Madrid is unchanging. Fans chanting Alcaraz’s name on the practice courts, rivers of spectators watching the champion’s every move, and a general feeling of passion for a young 19-year-old destined to write the future of the sport. However, this is a reality that does nothing to overwhelm Alcaraz, who is grateful for the affection he receives.

“I don’t take it as pressure, actually the complete opposite”, he explained. “For me it’s motivation. It’s a pleasure to see so many people, I like playing in front of such big crowds, and even more so in Spain. It’s a really big motivation. Our intention is to have fun on court and also to entertain. When I manage to have fun on court I play my best tennis.

“My style of game is very lively, doing different things. The smile comes from within when I’m enjoying myself. With my team, when I’m feeling frustrated, we have a little joke about something to make me smile and change my perspective on the match.”

His superlative prowess on court could lead Alcaraz to an extraordinary achievement in Madrid this season. Only Nadal has ever defended an ATP title on the clay of the Caja Magica, but it is a prospect that Alcaraz seems to assume with astonishing ease.

“Every tournament we go to, we think we can win it and we’re going to try and win it. But if we don’t, it’s not a failure for me”, he explained. “Leaving a tournament thinking I have failed would have more to do with the level of my tennis or my attitude, that’s the most important thing for me. If I do well mentally and I play well, I don’t take it as a failure”.

The atmosphere in the Spanish capital is electric as it awaits his return, now a different player, one who is capable of bringing the fans to their feet with his iconic drop shots, a superhuman mobility, and a forehand whose power is draw-dropping to witness at close quarters. Every year he comes back to Madrid an athlete capable of more remarkable feats.

“My game hasn’t changed much over the last year,” Alcaraz said. “It’s been a time in which I’ve had some good moments and others not so good. The difference from last year’s Carlos to this year is maturity and experience.”

Alcaraz will begin his title quest against Emil Ruusuvuori or Ugo Humbert.

A host of Top 20 singles stars will undertake double duty at the Mutua Madrid Open this fortnight when they compete in doubles at the ATP Masters 1000 event. Americans Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe, who have both won tour-level singles titles this year, team and take on World No. 13 Cameron Norrie and World No. 17 Tommy Paul in a popcorn first-round clash.

View Doubles Draw

Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov advanced to the third round in Indian Wells together earlier this year and will join forces again in Madrid, while World No. 15 Hubert Hurkacz, who has won four tour-level doubles titles, pairs with #NextGenATP American Ben Shelton

World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas teams alongside brother Petros Tsitsipas after they received a wild card. Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev team for the fourth time this season, while Alex de Minaur partners Grigor Dimitrov.

Defending champions Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski are the top seeds and are seeking their first title of the season. Second seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury have won three ATP Masters 1000 crowns together and anchor the draw in Madrid. Koolhof and Skupski face Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz in the first round, while Ram and Salisbury play Jamie Murray and Michael Venus.

When Carlos Alcaraz made his debut at the Mutua Madrid Open two years ago, he won just three games in his second-round match against Rafael Nadal. Little did the Spanish teen know that one year later he would make history at the Caja Magica.

Last year, carrying momentum from his maiden ATP Masters 1000 triumph in Miami, Alcaraz showed he was unafraid of the pressure on home soil in Madrid. After defeating five-time ATP Tour titlist Nikoloz Basilashvili and then-World No. 11 Cameron Norrie, he once again played countryman Nadal.

“You always have to think of Rafa as the favourite because he has already won here five times and all of the things he has achieved on clay,” Alcaraz said ahead the match in a press conference. “At the end of the day, I’m the new boy, the newcomer, the one that should not have any pressure when playing against one of the best players of history.”

If Alcaraz was nervous, he did not show it. This time he upset Nadal 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, the teen stunned World No. 1 Novak Djokovic 6-7(5), 7-5, 7-6(5) after a grueling three hours and 36 minutes.

In doing so, Alcaraz became the first player to defeat Nadal and Djokovic at the same clay-court event. He followed that victory by dismissing Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-1 for the trophy.

“It feels great to be able to beat these players,” Alcaraz said. “To beat two of the best players in history and then Zverev, the World No. 3. He is a great player. I would say this is the best week of my life.”

To relive Alcaraz’s memorable run, watch the full ATP Uncovered feature above.