On Monday, Carlos Alcaraz misplaced his place within the top-2 after 81 weeks, falling behind the Miami Masters champion Jannik Sinner. Carlos suffered a tricky quarter-final loss to Grigor Dimitrov, ending his “Sunshine Double” desires and switching his focus to clay.
Alcaraz performed golf earlier than heading to Monte Carlo, enjoyable and recharging batteries forward of his potential duels with Rafael Nadal, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic. Carlos completed the earlier season ranked second behind Djokovic, claiming notable titles at Wimbledon and two Masters 1000 occasions.
Nonetheless, the Spaniard misplaced the bottom after that epic Cincinnati remaining, shedding it to Serb and reaching no extra finals by the tip of the season.
Alcaraz misplaced within the semi-final on the US Open and the ATP Finals, hoping for a greater run in 2024.
The 20-year-old performed properly at the start of the Australian Open, reaching the quarter-final and setting the conflict towards Alexander Zverev. The German dominated and constructed an enormous benefit earlier than the Spaniard stole the third set and extended his possibilities.
Nonetheless, Alexander stayed centered within the fourth set and sealed the deal, sending world no. 2 out of the competitors. Carlos couldn’t defend his Buenos Aires title, falling to Nicolas Jarry within the semi-final and transferring to Rio.
The younger gun twisted his ankle after solely a few minutes towards Thiago Monteiro, retiring and shedding extra factors after enjoying within the remaining a yr in the past. Alcaraz recovered forward of Indian Wells, searching for his second consecutive title within the desert and the primary on the Tour since final July.
The Spaniard beat Matteo Arnaldi, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Fabian Marozsan en path to a spot within the quarter-final. Carlos produced certainly one of his greatest matches of the season versus Alexander Zverev, dropping six factors behind the preliminary shot in a 6-3, 6-1 triumph.
World no. 2 grabbed half of the return factors and turned them into 4 breaks from 5 alternatives, controlling the scoreboard and crusing excessive. Alcaraz met the Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner within the semi-final and delivered the Italian’s solely loss in 2024, overcoming a sluggish begin and dominating units two and three in a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 win.
Carlos Alcaraz hit the golf court docket forward of the European clay swing.
Carlos misplaced serve two instances within the opener and took cost in the remainder of the duel, stealing the rival’s serve 3 times and reserving a spot within the title conflict.
Alcaraz defended the trophy in fashion after ousting world no. 4 Daniil Medvedev 7-6, 6-1 in an hour and 42 minutes. Carlos prevailed in a decent opener and left the rival behind within the second set, celebrating his fifth Masters 1000 title at 20.
The Spaniard performed towards two break factors and trailed within the early phases of the duel after getting damaged as soon as. Alcaraz erased the deficit and grabbed three breaks from ten possibilities, dominating set quantity two and lifting the trophy in fashion.
Carlos had the higher hand within the shortest and mid-range exchanges, taking cost from the center of the primary set and ending with 24 winners and 26 unforced errors.
Medvedev broke within the second recreation of the match and saved three break factors within the subsequent one, forging an early benefit. Alcaraz pulled the break again with a forehand winner in recreation 5 and missed one other break level at 4-4.
The set went right into a tie break, and Daniil climbed again from 2-5, standing two factors away from taking the set. Nonetheless, the Spaniard gained two factors at 5-5, sealing the opener and gaining a lift. Alcaraz grabbed two breaks within the second set and held in recreation seven, celebrating a much-needed title and hoping for extra in Miami.
Carlos reached the quarter-final with out points, dropping 15 video games in six units. The Spaniard wished for extra towards Grigor Dimitrov, however the match didn’t flip his manner. The Bulgarian ousted world no. 2 6-2, 6-4, incomes a notable win and transferring into the final 4.
Carlos performed a poor match, struggling 4 breaks after dropping nearly half of the factors in his video games. Dimitrov saved 4 out of 5 break factors, enjoying aggressive tennis and overpowering the champion from two years in the past.
Grigor broke within the second recreation of the match and saved break factors a couple of minutes later for 3-0. The extra skilled participant landed an ace within the seventh recreation for an additional snug maintain and 5-2 earlier than wrapping up the set with a backhand winner within the subsequent one, breaking the Spaniard for the second time.
Not stopping there, Dimitrov clinched a break at 2-1 within the second set with a forehand return winner, cementing it with a maintain at love and transferring nearer to a spot within the final 4.
Carlos saved a break level in recreation six and broke Grigor at love a couple of minutes later, returning to the constructive aspect. Dimitrov made no errors within the closing phases, touchdown an unreturned serve for 5-4 and portray a forehand down the road winner on the return within the subsequent one for 2 match factors.
Alcaraz sprayed a forehand error on the primary, ending his marketing campaign within the quarter-final and leaving the top-2 after 81 consecutive weeks.