ATP Masters Montreal: Carlos Alcaraz feels the pressure
Carlos Alcaraz had to say goodbye in round two of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Montreal. After losing to Tommy Paul , the youngster admitted he couldn't take the pressure.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Aug 11, 2022, 09:26 pm
Carlos Alcaraz 's engine has faltered a bit in the past few weeks: After his knockout round in Wimbledon, the 19-year-old lost two finals in both Hamburg and Umag, in which he had definitely gone as a favorite. And now the second round defeat against Tommy Paul at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Montreal was the next setback.
After the game, in which he even missed a match point, Alcaraz admitted that he had failed because of the increased expectations: "I felt the pressure to be number two in a tournament like this, number four in the world. It was the first time I felt that pressure - and I couldn't handle it."
Alcaraz is no longer running like clockwork
No question: Alcaraz is still playing an outstanding season - especially considering his tender age - and is rightly placed in the Race to Turin. But even the 19-year-old had to realize that even for an exceptional talent like him, things don't always run smoothly. And can't walk at all.
Not least because of this, Alcaraz wants to benefit from the experience in Montreal in the long term: "All I can say about this match is that I have to train, that I have to be ready to have this pressure, to experience these types of moments and learning to deal with it. That's all I can say for now."
Alcaraz as number two after New York?
Alcaraz will have the opportunity to put these words into practice as early as next week in Cincinnati. Should the Iberian win in Ohio and comeback Rafael Nadal not reach the final, he would start the US Open on August 29 behind Daniil Medvedev as number two in the world.
But first and foremost, for Alcaraz, the seventh ATP Masters 1000 event of the year will be about rediscovering the lightheartedness of the first half of the season: "As I said, I have to train to learn the lessons from this game and try to give 100 percent in Cincinnati."