NEW DELHI: Tennis stars Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday mentioned that he’s now not mythical Rafael Nadal’s “replacement” as {the teenager} with ease defended his Barcelona identify. Alcaraz now has 9 occupation titles below his belt.
With 14-times French Open Nadal champion sidelined since January with a hip harm and global primary and two-time Roland Garros winner Novak Djokovic suffering with an elbow drawback, Alcaraz strengthened his credentials as a significant contender so as to add the clay-court Grand Slam identify to the United States Open he captured closing yr.
However, he was once fast to hose down hypothesis that he’s the French Open champion-in-waiting, simply 5 weeks out from the yr’s moment primary in Paris.
“I don’t want to be anyone’s replacement,” mentioned global quantity two Alcaraz when faced along with his standing as inheritor obvious to Nadal who turns 37 in June.
Nadal hasn’t performed since his moment spherical go out on the Australian Open and has neglected Masters occasions at Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo in addition to sitting out Barcelona for a moment successive yr.
“In the two years that Rafa hasn’t been here, I’ve been lucky or, let’s say, I’ve won the title,” mentioned Alcaraz who defended his Barcelona identify with out losing a suite.
His win on Sunday was once his fourth in 4 conferences in opposition to fifth-ranked Tsitsipas.
“I’ve always wanted to play against the best, it’s a shame that we haven’t been able to enjoy Rafa these last two years,” added Alcaraz.
“Let’s hope he continues to play for a long time and that we can enjoy his tennis, but obviously we are not here to take over from anyone, but to build our own history.”
Alcaraz’s warning is justified. Despite Nadal’s proceeding harm woes, he boasts a shocking win-loss file on the French Open of 112 wins in opposition to simply 3 losses since his title-winning 2005 debut.
Two of the ones defeats got here in opposition to Djokovic who stocks the boys’s file of twenty-two majors with Nadal.
Djokovic reached that mark with a tenth Australian Open victory in January.
Despite issues over his elbow, he is aware of that historically he improves because the clay season progresses — his file presentations two Monte Carlo titles, 3 at Madrid and 6 in Rome, the closing vital match prior to Roland Garros.
Djokovic has effectively bounced again from elbow worries previously — in February 2018, he wanted surgical treatment at the harm however nonetheless received Wimbledon and the United States Open later that yr.
Both Nadal and Djokovic are sitting out the Madrid Masters the place Alcaraz is the protecting champion.
“Roland Garros is a clear short-term objective,” added Alcaraz.
“It’s a tournament I really want to win, but now we are focused on Madrid and then Rome. Winning the tournament here in Barcelona gives me extra confidence for what’s to come.”
Holger Rune, like Alcaraz additionally simply 19, defended his Munich identify on Sunday however not like the Spaniard, needed to combat again from the threshold of defeat.
Plagued through a shoulder harm, which wanted a clinical time-out, the Dane got here again from 5-2 down within the 3rd set and stored 4 fit issues to look off Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7/3) in a rematch of closing yr’s ultimate.
“It is the last match and the last push, so you try to find a way,” mentioned Rune who heads to Madrid having by no means up to now performed within the match.
Also heading to Madrid with self assurance is ladies’s global primary Iga Swiatek, the reigning US and French Open champion.
On Sunday, she defeated Australian Open champion and second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-4 to assert a moment successive Stuttgart identify.
“I wanted to win really, really hard, but I knew that I can’t really focus on that and just I have to keep doing my job as I did in previous matches,” mentioned the Pole.
“I’m pretty happy that I could kind of have a good mentality and just focus on what I want to do tennis-wise.”
(With inputs from AFP)
With 14-times French Open Nadal champion sidelined since January with a hip harm and global primary and two-time Roland Garros winner Novak Djokovic suffering with an elbow drawback, Alcaraz strengthened his credentials as a significant contender so as to add the clay-court Grand Slam identify to the United States Open he captured closing yr.
However, he was once fast to hose down hypothesis that he’s the French Open champion-in-waiting, simply 5 weeks out from the yr’s moment primary in Paris.
“I don’t want to be anyone’s replacement,” mentioned global quantity two Alcaraz when faced along with his standing as inheritor obvious to Nadal who turns 37 in June.
Nadal hasn’t performed since his moment spherical go out on the Australian Open and has neglected Masters occasions at Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo in addition to sitting out Barcelona for a moment successive yr.
“In the two years that Rafa hasn’t been here, I’ve been lucky or, let’s say, I’ve won the title,” mentioned Alcaraz who defended his Barcelona identify with out losing a suite.
His win on Sunday was once his fourth in 4 conferences in opposition to fifth-ranked Tsitsipas.
“I’ve always wanted to play against the best, it’s a shame that we haven’t been able to enjoy Rafa these last two years,” added Alcaraz.
“Let’s hope he continues to play for a long time and that we can enjoy his tennis, but obviously we are not here to take over from anyone, but to build our own history.”
Alcaraz’s warning is justified. Despite Nadal’s proceeding harm woes, he boasts a shocking win-loss file on the French Open of 112 wins in opposition to simply 3 losses since his title-winning 2005 debut.
Two of the ones defeats got here in opposition to Djokovic who stocks the boys’s file of twenty-two majors with Nadal.
Djokovic reached that mark with a tenth Australian Open victory in January.
Despite issues over his elbow, he is aware of that historically he improves because the clay season progresses — his file presentations two Monte Carlo titles, 3 at Madrid and 6 in Rome, the closing vital match prior to Roland Garros.
Djokovic has effectively bounced again from elbow worries previously — in February 2018, he wanted surgical treatment at the harm however nonetheless received Wimbledon and the United States Open later that yr.
Both Nadal and Djokovic are sitting out the Madrid Masters the place Alcaraz is the protecting champion.
“Roland Garros is a clear short-term objective,” added Alcaraz.
“It’s a tournament I really want to win, but now we are focused on Madrid and then Rome. Winning the tournament here in Barcelona gives me extra confidence for what’s to come.”
Holger Rune, like Alcaraz additionally simply 19, defended his Munich identify on Sunday however not like the Spaniard, needed to combat again from the threshold of defeat.
Plagued through a shoulder harm, which wanted a clinical time-out, the Dane got here again from 5-2 down within the 3rd set and stored 4 fit issues to look off Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7/3) in a rematch of closing yr’s ultimate.
“It is the last match and the last push, so you try to find a way,” mentioned Rune who heads to Madrid having by no means up to now performed within the match.
Also heading to Madrid with self assurance is ladies’s global primary Iga Swiatek, the reigning US and French Open champion.
On Sunday, she defeated Australian Open champion and second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-4 to assert a moment successive Stuttgart identify.
“I wanted to win really, really hard, but I knew that I can’t really focus on that and just I have to keep doing my job as I did in previous matches,” mentioned the Pole.
“I’m pretty happy that I could kind of have a good mentality and just focus on what I want to do tennis-wise.”
(With inputs from AFP)