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Reflections of Carlos Alcaraz's Grand Slam season

  • Posted: Sep 01, 2024

On Friday night, Carlos Alcaraz was en route to the John F. Kennedy International Airport to return to Murcia after bowing out in the second round of the US Open to Botic van de Zandschulp, who defeated the Spaniard in three sets in one of the biggest upsets of the season.

Alcaraz, who posted a photo on social media bidding farewell to the fans at the tournament until next year, ended his participation in the 2024 Grand Slams on Thursday with a return that he surely would have taken at the start of the year.

Below, ATPTour.com reflects on the 21-year-old’s season at this year’s majors.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN: QUARTER-FINALS
Alcaraz arrived in Melbourne to play his first tournament on the calendar at the season’s first Grand Slam. He beat Richard Gasquet (first round), Lorenzo Sonego (second), Juncheng Shang (third) and Miomir Kecmanovic (last sixteen) before meeting Alexander Zverev in the quarters. In that round, German sent Spaniard packing after four sets, ending his title hopes.

“I honestly don’t know what happened,” Alcaraz said later. “I’d love to say what might have happened, but I wasn’t feeling my game at the start of the match, with a lot of errors that I wasn’t making in previous matches, and my serve was very bad too…” he added.

“These kinds of things shouldn’t happen to me; I can play well, I can play badly, but I can’t have zero feel in my shots, that can’t happen and it’s something we have to improve.”

FRENCH OPEN: CHAMPION
Up to the quarter-finals, Alcaraz enjoyed a relatively easy run in Paris, defeating J.J. Wolf in round one, Jesper de Jong in the second round, Sebastian Korda in the third, Felix Auger-Aliassime in the last sixteen and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarters. However, the semi-finals (Jannik Sinner) and the final (Zverev) were real dog fights that were decided in set five, and Alcaraz was just a set away from going home, as Sinner and Zverev both had the Murcia man on the ropes at 2-1.

“We’re still so excited to be here,” admitted Alcaraz. “I see videos of when I was young, here in Paris, under the Eiffel Tower, watching Roland Garros. And years later I’m lifting the Musketeers’ Trophy… they’re beautiful moments and it’s especially exciting for me.”

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WIMBLEDON: CHAMPION
Weeks after claiming the crown at Roland Garros, Alcaraz arrived in Wimbledon as the defending champion (he had beaten Novak Djokovic in 2023’s final).

After making easy work of the early rounds, sinking Mark Lajal and Aleksandar Vukic, the Spaniard came through a five-set tussle with Frances Tiafoe, who was just one set from victory. Against Uno Humbert, Tommy Paul and Daniil Medvedev, the world No. 3 needed four sets to progress, before facing Djokovic in the final, where he sealed his successful title defence in three sets.

“It’s a question of fighting and believing, I’m so happy to be at the same table as Djokovic,” said the Murcia native. “But I still don’t consider myself a champion of his stature.”

US OPEN: SECOND ROUND
Without a doubt one of the biggest upsets of 2024. Having got past Li Tu in the first round, where he dropped a set, Alcaraz was caught off-guard by a stunning performance from Van de Zandschulp, who played some brilliant tennis to send the 21-year-old 2022 US Open champion packing.

“Right now I feel like I’ve gone backwards mentally and I don’t understand why,” said Alcaraz. “I had a spectacular summer at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. I left those tournaments saying that I’d taken a step forward mentally. I’d realised that to win big things, to win Grand Slam titles, you have to be mentally strong,” added the Spaniard. “And now I’ve reached this swing and I’ve taken steps backwards, like I’m not doing well mentally, I’m not strong. I don’t know how to control myself when faced with problems and I don’t know how to handle it.”

In 2025, very soon, Alcaraz will be presented with four more chances to shine on the big stage.

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Ruud and the evolution of a ‘complete and aggressive’ player

  • Posted: Aug 31, 2024

As he almost always does, Casper Ruud has reached the last sixteen of the US Open without making too much of a splash. The Norwegian, who came back from two sets down on Friday to see off Juncheng Shang, will face Taylor Fritz (2-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head) on Sunday with a place in the quarters up for grabs.

With two ATP Tour titles to his name so far in 2024 (Barcelona and Geneva), Ruud now has a chance to stay in the fight for the big prizes at Flushing Meadows.

“I think it’s been a very positive year, he’s been very consistent in most tournaments, allowing him to have a stable place among the 10 best players and to keep growing as a player,” Pedro Clar, Ruud’s coach, told ATPTour.com. “The season is very long but we believe he’s in great form in terms of his game, his fitness, and mentally. You always have to take it match by match but you also have to believe you can do something big here at the US Open and in the remainder of the season.”

Ruud, of course, knows what it is to ‘do something big’ in the season’s final Grand Slam. In 2022, the current No. 8 in the PIF ATP Rankings reached the final, where he bowed out to Carlos Alcaraz in the match where the No. 1 spot was also at stake.

How has Ruud changed on hard court since the final two years ago?

“Although 2022 was the better year in terms of results, I think in terms of his game he’s a more complete player, because he’s managed to be more aggressive from the back of the court,” offered Clar. “He has more variety of shots on his backhand and he’s also improved a lot on the return. I think these things are key to being a better player on fast court,” continued the Spanish coach from the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar.

“Another aspect I’d point to is the mental side. The fact that he has consolidated himself among the Top 10 for a few years now means he is training hard every day to improve every aspect of his tennis,” he continued. “The demands at this level are very high and you have to do that in order to stay there.”

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A professional since 2015, Ruud has managed to evolve his game from top to bottom, changing from a clay-court specialist to an all-round danger man, ready to be competitive on any surface.

“I think throughout all these years, he has progressed in every aspect, both in terms of his tennis, his fitness and mentally, but the tennis part is undoubtedly where he has progressed the most,” noted Clar. “When we started, Casper was more of a clay-court style player, his game was mainly based on a good serve and playing with his forehand, but as the years have gone by he has become a more complete and aggressive player,” explained the coach.

“In the end, you have to keep thinking and working to improve his game, because with the level on tour, if you don’t think, you get left behind.”

Ruud’s personality, his character and his values, have also been very important in his tennis journey. They are the key to player and coach enjoying such a good, healthy relationship after so long together.

“I’ve always said that coaching Casper is a privilege, both because of how he is on the court and how he is off it,” said Clar. “Of course, there is tension and goals that demand the utmost professionalism from the whole team, but the human side is always there, which makes everything easier from day to day,” he continued. “Since we started working together, we’ve always had a good feeling and trust in one another, and that has only grown as the years have passed, which is of great importance to me.”

Of course, this is a blessing if you gradually want to aspire to big things.

“He’s never reacted badly to anything and that shows how he is as a player and a person,” the Spanish coach explained. “Casper has some great values that were instilled by his family, I think you can see that on court and it characterises him as a player.”

– This story has been republished from ATPTour.com/es

 

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'One of the best moments of my life': Love meets tennis for McDonald & Mateas

  • Posted: Aug 31, 2024

Americans Mackenzie McDonald and Maria Mateas are playing for more than just a trophy in the US Open mixed doubles draw. The dating partners are competing to stay together longer.

Mateas, who also played in women’s qualifying singles, was scheduled to fly to Europe on Saturday to continue her journey. But the wild cards defeated Fabrice Martin and Alexandra Panova 6-4, 2-6, 10-8 on Friday to remain in the draw and, more importantly, by one another’s side.

“This means we get to spend more days together too, because there are tournaments right around the corner,” said McDonald, who lost to Jannik Sinner in the first round of singles. “Our days being on Tour, both of us, it’s a lot. So we cherish every moment we get together.”

The partners of two and a half years simultaneously said “I hope so” when asked if Mateas might have to miss a tournament because of their efforts in New York.

Both players’ smiles lit up the US Open media centre. Their excitement was unmistakable.

“Amazing,” Mateas said. “This is actually one of the best moments of my life. I’m so happy right now. It’s actually crazy.”

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McDonald added: “I was actually pretty nervous there. But yeah, I guess my excitement showed at the end. It was really fun. We had a great time out there, but to get a win was actually really, really cool, because we had a tough loss last year, but I’m happy we bounced back this year and got a ‘dub’.”

“We went out and there was only one person in the stands, so we were like, ‘Oh, this is good. We won’t get nervous’. And then in the breaker, it was full,” Mateas said. “It was so fun. We wanted the opportunity again so bad, because last year was my first ever Grand Slam match, and I was so nervous.

“Obviously we know each other better than anyone, but I didn’t want to let him down in a way. I don’t know. And then this year, I just went out there, and I just wanted to have a lot of fun and really enjoy it no matter what. And we definitely did that.”

It has been the best season of Mateas’ career — she is at a career-high No. 190 in the PIF WTA Rankings. At the end of last season, McDonald accompanied her to Santo Domingo, where the former Duke standout won her first title in five years.

“That kind of set off this year that I’ve had,” Mateas said.

“[I] might have had a little bit more time on my schedule [because of my shoulder] than I would have liked,” McDonald said. “But it really helped her.”

According to the couple, they will likely be apart for two months after the US Open. But they FaceTime “more than anyone we know” to try to feel together even when they are not.

“It’s nice having someone else that understands what you do,” McDonald said. “And even beyond that, we help each other and push each other to make sure we’re doing the right things and everything, too.”

The former No. 37 in the PIF ATP Rankinga added: “I’ve got a lot of work to do to get my ranking back to where I want to be, and that’s going to take playing a lot of tournaments and winning a lot of matches, maybe even at the Challenger level. It’s nice that I have someone… that is going to be supporting me to get back to my ranking.”

“We’re ready for it,” Mateas added.

Some couples bicker on court, but it was abundantly clear how much the Americans enjoyed their time together on Court 6. Their smiles remained well after the match. But who is the boss on the court?

“There is really no boss. And I mean this genuinely, I’m not just saying this, on or off the court,” Mateas said. “I think my word kind of holds more weight in a way, off the court. But on the court, he ran it for sure. He’s much better at his job than I am, so I have a lot of learning to do from him still.”

They will next face Italian third seeds Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. Could the home favourites enjoy a storybook run to the title?

“I don’t know if we can put the ‘T’ word out there yet. We’ll take it one match at a time. We’ll see,” McDonald said. “Honestly, just having another night of dinner, knowing that we’re not going to be leaving tomorrow, is big. Honestly having another day is huge. So yeah, we’ll really enjoy it as much as we can.”

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Djokovic upset no surprise for Popyrin: 'It was something I thought I could do’

  • Posted: Aug 31, 2024

Alexei Popyrin’s victory against Novak Djokovic at the US Open may have come as a seismic shock to many, but it did not come as a huge surprise to the man himself.

Popyrin believes that his big-hitting game has always had the potential to trouble the game’s elite. Rather, stringing high-level performances together consistently has been the challenge for the 25-year-old, whose straight-sets victory against Djokovic inside Arthur Ashe Stadium came just 18 days after he earned a stunning maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal.

“For me, winning Montreal was way bigger than today, just because it’s a title, and it’s a Masters 1000 title,” reflected Popyrin after his 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 win against Djokovic on Friday night. “That felt unbelievable. Today was something that I kind of thought I could do, you know? Winning a Masters 1000 was not something that kind of crossed my head.

“My two experiences against [Djokovic] earlier this year at the Australian Open and Wimbledon kind of gave me the confidence to go out there tonight and believe that I could win, and actually do it and believe it. So when I did it, it kind of felt that proved me right, proved what I was thinking was right. It wasn’t something that was unbelievable.”

Having pushed Djokovic to four sets earlier this year at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, Popyrin was delighted with the way he improved mentally to get over the line this time around.

“It was a pretty solid performance from my side,” said the Australian. “Honestly, I said before the match that the last two matches that I had, I didn’t take my chances, and today I managed to take my chances.

“I would say level-wise it probably wasn’t the highest level. I think because I have had some matches where I have played and felt way better than I felt out there today. I think the way I composed myself and the way I tactically played the match, that was up there with one of the best matches that I have played.”

As fans who followed his exploits in Montreal earlier this month will know, Popyrin is a charismatic on-court presence who appears to thrive in big atmospheres. That was certainly the case on Friday, when it may not have been obvious to onlookers that the Australian was making his debut inside the largest tennis stadium in the world.

“I stepped out on Arthur Ashe about 20 minutes before the actual match and that was the first time I have ever been on Arthur Ashe, just to kind of get a gauge of how the stadium looked and how big it was,” said Popyrin. “The crowd was amazing. They kind of stepped up. When I hit those passing shots, it was quite amazing to feel the crowd on my side. I managed to kind of win them over towards the end of the match, which was amazing.”

The No. 28 in the PIF ATP Rankings Popyrin can expect an equally vibrant atmosphere for his next match, when he takes on home favourite and 2022 semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round. Although the two players know each other well. it will be their maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

“He’s actually a really good friend of mine,” said Popyrin of Tiafoe. “We get along really well off the court. It will be interesting to play against him. We have practised a bunch of times. He’s a very tricky player. Probably has one of the best hands on Tour, comes into the net a lot, likes to mix it up. That’s going to be the tough part.

“Honestly, playing Frances will be quite an experience because there has been a few times where I have kind of lost the round before having to play Frances, and he’s always telling me, ‘Man, why do you keep losing before we play each other?’ Luckily this time I was able to do it and hopefully it will be a good match.”

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Djokovic: 'I've played some of the worst tennis I've ever played'

  • Posted: Aug 31, 2024

Novak Djokovic made abundantly clear his disappointment with his level after a stunning third-round loss to Alexei Popyrin on Friday at the US Open.

“Congratulations to him and his team. He definitely played better and deserved to win today,” Djokovic said. “On my end, honestly, the way I felt and the way I played from the beginning of this tournament, third round is a success. I mean, I have played some of the worst tennis I have ever played, honestly, serving by far the worst ever.”

Djokovic hit a stunning 32 double faults in his three matches at Flushing Meadows, including 14 against Popyrin (his record high for a Slam match). The 24-time major champion dropped serve five times against the Australian.

“If you play on a quick surface like this without the serve, without [the] ability to win free points there, very low first-serve percentage, many double faults, then you can’t win,” Djokovic said. “You can’t win, especially against the guys who are in form like Alexei who is serving big, puts a lot of pressure on your service game. Yeah, it was just an awful match for me.”

Earlier this month, Djokovic surged to one of the highest highs of his career at the Paris Olympics, where he produced a memorable performance to defeat Carlos Alcaraz for the gold medal. But the Serbian, who did not play a hard-court tournament before arriving in New York, never found the same level at the season’s final major.

“It’s a different surface. Obviously it had an effect. I spent a lot of energy winning the gold, and I did arrive to New York just not feeling fresh mentally and physically,” Djokovic said. “But because it’s [the] US Open, I gave it a shot and I tried my best. I didn’t have any physical issues. I just felt out of gas and you could see that with the way I played.

“Just from the very beginning, from the first match, I just didn’t find myself at all on this court. It’s all I can say. Life moves on. I [will] just try and recalibrate and look for what’s next.”

Djokovic explained that it was “a big struggle mentally” to compete at the US Open, where he is a four-time champion. He admitted to never playing close to his best tennis.

“It’s not good to be in that kind of state where you feel okay physically, and of course you’re motivated because it’s a Grand Slam, but you just are not able to find your game. That’s it,” Djokovic said. “The game is falling apart, and I guess you have to accept that tournaments like this happen.

“You could argue that it’s because of the Olympics, but I don’t know. I don’t want to analyse that right now. I was just looking to really improve my game here on a daily basis, but it just didn’t happen.”

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The 37-year-old tallied a 16-3 record at the Grand Slam tournaments this year, marking the first season in which he has not claimed a major trophy since 2017. His best result came at Wimbledon, where Djokovic made the final before falling to Alcaraz.

The 99-time tour-level titlist’s defeat to Popyrin marks his earliest exit at a Slam since the 2017 Australian Open, where he lost to Denis Istomin in the second round.

“Fresh off the court, you have a bitter taste in your mouth and you don’t like losing, even though I had so many more wins than losses in this tournament and really any other. So I have to draw the line,” Djokovic said. “Sitting from a larger perspective, of course I have to be content. It’s hard to see the big perspective right now. You’re just angry and upset that you lost and the way you played and that’s it. But tomorrow is a new day, and I will obviously think about what to do next.”

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