'Grateful for everything.' Why a new version of Carlos Alcaraz is at the Cincinnati Open
If you're not early to a Carlos Alcaraz practice session, good luck getting a glimpse of the 22-year-old phenom.
Alcaraz, the World No. 2 behind defending Cincinnati Open champion Jannik Sinner, didn't put his best on display the last time he was in Mason.
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Last summer, Alcaraz was upset by Gael Monfils in the Round of 32.
Alcaraz called it "the worst match" he had ever played in his young career and gave four hacks of his racket onto the Center Court surface during the third set that Paul Bunyan would've applauded. Alcaraz apologized one day later on social media.
Rest assured, fans in Mason won't see similar antics from the 21-time ATP tour champion.
Alcaraz showed composure beyond his years last month in a humbling loss at Wimbledon. Alcaraz was 5-0 all-time in Grand Slam finals, but was denied No. 6 by Sinner, who he had beaten in their previous five meetings.
No tantrums, no apology needed. Even on the biggest stage, after a loss in a rivalry that has encapsulated the ATP in recent months.
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"It was new (losing in a Grand Slam final), but you have to be ready for that. I left the court happy, I left the court proud, and I left the court smiling," Alcaraz said in his pre-tournament press conference Aug. 6. "At some point, I have to lose a Grand Slam final. Everyone has.
"There's obviously a lot I have to improve, but it took me hours, not even days, to be grateful for everything I've achieved."
Alcaraz has matured a great deal in a short amount of time, in an ultra-personal sport where players have long pushed the boundaries of the game's holy etiquette and sportsmanship (Nick Kyrgios was fined $113,000 for his outburst with a chair umpire in Cincinnati in 2019).
"My goal is the same: to be happy, to enjoy my time on and off the court in the best tournaments we have in the world," Alcaraz said.
Will Cincinnati get a taste of Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry?
It's down to business now for Alcaraz, who admittingly avoided the gym like the plague in the three-week reset he enjoyed after the Wimbledon loss.
"When I'm off, I'm off," Alcaraz laughed.
He's on now and searching for an ATP 1000 title that has eluded him. With a bigger, 96-player field, the Cincinnati Open bracket is littered with ATP stars, but the possibility of another Alcaraz-Sinner showdown is hiding in plain sight.
Frankly, it's what the fans want. The last time the ATP's top 2 players met in the Cincinnati Open final, Alcaraz fell to Novak Djokovic in the longest match (3 hours, 49 minutes) in tournament history in 2023.
Mason enjoyed plenty of the sport's "Big Four" over the years. Roger Federer won a record seven Rookwood Cups, Djokovic reached the finals eight times (3-5) and Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray combined for three titles in a six-year span.
Alcaraz and Sinner are part of the next generation of tennis greats, and Cincinnati is ready for a showdown of superstars at its new-and-improved venue.
"I'm just really happy to be building such a great rivalry against Jannik (Sinner). I think we've done great things in tennis in such a short period of time," Alcaraz said. "A lot of people, I just let them talk about our rivalry or the things we have done for the history books in tennis. I'm thinking about the history we're making."
Alcaraz will face either Mattia Bellucci or Damir Dzumhur in the Round of 64 over the weekend. Sinner matches up with Daniel Elahi Galan.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: A 'grateful' phenom Carlos Alcaraz arrives at Cincinnati Open
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