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Alcaraz: “I have to find my rhythm step by step”
The Spaniard beat Arnaldi in the second round
March 09, 2024
Peter Staples/ATP Tour
Carlos Alcaraz is looking for his first title of the 2024 season in Indian Wells.
By ATPTour.com/es Staff
Satisfied but full of hunger, Carlos Alcaraz hopes to find his rhythm at the BNP Paribas Open after a hectic start to the season.
The Spaniard beat Matteo Arnaldi in three sets to begin his journey at the Californian ATP Masters 1000 on Friday night, putting aside doubts about the ankle injury suffered in Rio de Janeiro last month.
“I arrived without having played too many games. Last year I came here with more games in my legs, with more rhythm,” Alcaraz said in his post-match press conference. “I’m recovering from an ankle injury. I was thinking about it all the time, I couldn’t train at high intensity as much as I would have liked.”
“But I’m raising the level, feeling really good. To get into a good rhythm I have to go step by step. I think that’s the big difference from last year.”
Alcaraz had a stellar edition in Indian Wells the previous season, lifting the third of his four Masters 1000 crowns without surrendering a set. In 2023, Carlos entered the tournament with a record of 8-1 on the season after having conquered Buenos Aires. This year, he took the court against Arnaldi with a record of 6-3 in 2024, without reaching a final since the one signed in Cincinnati last August.
The Murcian acknowledged how the lack of games and his recent ankle injury generated some nerves at the start of the match.
“This is a very special tournament for me. I want to do well. It was the first match playing at high intensity and I didn’t know how my body was going to respond,” said Alcaraz, who delivered the first set 7-6(5) against the Italian. “There were a lot of things in my head. I couldn’t concentrate 100% on the game and that made me feel some nerves.”
“I have to deal with it, but I didn’t manage my nerves too well in the first set. I moved and hit the ball differently. My game is to be aggressive at all times. I tried to stay calm and wait for my opportunities. When you “You get nervous, you don’t think about it. You don’t hit the ball the way you want and you don’t move the way you want. That’s the big difference.”
With a loss of 1,000 points as defending champion, Alcaraz has moved behind Jannik Sinner as No. 3 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings this week. However, his advancement to the third round places him just 105 points behind the Italian in the fight for world No. 2.
In search of his first title of the season, Carlos will try to continue progressing when he faces Felix Auger-Aliassime this Sunday. The Canadian leads the Lexus ATP Head2Head record 3-1, but the Spaniard caught his most recent match in Indian Wells last season.