Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz Working to Control Nerves and Improve Performance to Win ATP 500 Tournament

Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, world number 2, admitted that he had to work to better control his “nerves” in difficult times to hope to win the ATP 500 tournament in Rio de Janeiro, the most important in South America. “There are a lot of things to improve compared to Buenos Aires,” the player, beaten in the semi-final of the Argentinian tournament on Saturday by the Chilean Nicolas Jarry, declared at a press conference on Monday. “I hit the ball very well, I think I’m in good shape, but I have to learn to play in certain situations, better than I did in Buenos Aires,” continued Alcaraz, who has not won a tournament again since Wimbledon last July.

“For example, on break points, in certain moments when I’m on edge, I have to do better than I did. I think that’s the most important thing that I have to improve if I want to get a good result here in Rio”, added the Spaniard, who will start the tournament on Tuesday against the Brazilian Thiago Monteiro (117th in the world).

I have to stay focused

“This year, I know what I want to do, I’m working hard. It’s going to be an exciting year, with the Olympics coming up. But in the middle or at the end of the season, I have to stay focused to keep the same intensity and the same level,” explained the 20-year-old, assuring that he prefers to win Olympic gold rather than the Roland-Garros tournament.

“There are still several months before the Olympic Games and during this period, there are some super important tournaments. Obviously, the Games are a great goal, very special, but I also want to win the Masters 1000, Grand Slams , and that’s why we have to stay focused on the upcoming tournaments,” he judged.

2024-02-20 08:37:00
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