Alcaraz: 'In 2022 I Want To Break Into The Top 15'
Carlos Alcaraz continues to reap the rewards of a great season on the ATP Tour. The #NextGenATP Spaniard, who finished the 2021 season ranked No. 32 in the FedEx ATP Rankings aged 18, received the AS Promise Award in recognition of his arrival among the sport’s elite. At one of Spanish sport’s most prestigious ceremonies, the Murcia native was applauded by all attendees for his progress on the professional tour.
“This year was the breakthrough,” acknowledged Alcaraz when he received the award. “I hope it is the start of something big. I’m going to keep this award high up in my room at home. I’m happy my work in all the previous years is being recognised.”
The ovation was for an athlete who is trying to make his way towards the pinnacle of the tour. During a very special evening, the Spaniard also spoke to El Larguero (Cadena SER) to reflect on his achievements and his upcoming aims for the 2022 season.
“I don’t feel the pressure,” admitted Juan Carlos Ferrero’s pupil, who always seems to have a smile on his face. “I’m clear about my direction,” Alcaraz explained. “I’ve only had two or three days of holiday, and one week without picking up a racquet.”
Consolidated as the youngest player in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Alcaraz enjoyed a standout season. The Murcia native claimed his first ATP Tour title in Umag, reached his maiden Grand Slam quarter-finals at the US Open and ended the season by winning the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals. It was a season replete with brilliance during which he took down three Top 10 players.
“In 2022 I’m going to aim high and hope to break into the Top 15,” he warned. “I might even try and qualify for [the Nitto ATP Finals in] Turin. It’s a difficult goal, but it’s good at the end of the season.”
The future looks bright for Alcaraz. The Murcia native will complete his preseason at the Equelite de Villena Academy before setting sail for Australia, where he will embark on a promising future. With his hard-earned new status,
The 18-year-old will be seeded in a Grand Slam for the first time when he sets foot in Melbourne Park on 17 January.
Alcaraz is the third tennis player to win the AS Promise Award, following in the footsteps of Paula Badosa (2015) and Alejandro Davidovich (2017).
The ceremony also saw awards for other big names such as tennis player Novak Djokovic, basketball player Felipe Reyes, footballers Alexia Putellas, Luis Suárez and Karim Benzema, karateka Sandra Sanchez, canoeists Teresa Portela and Saul Craviotto, climber Alberto Gines, athletes Yulimar Rojas and Ana Peleteiro, shooters Fatima Galvez and Alberto Fernandez and paratriathlete Susana Rodriguez.
Reproduced from ATPTour.com/es