Paris-Bercy is Carlos Alcaraz's penultimate stop in this indelible 2022, a year that has gone far beyond what was imagined. To speak of consecration is to fall short with the Murcian, winner of two Masters 1000 (Miami and Madrid), a Grand Slam (US Open) and above all a number one unattainable for the rest of the mortals during decades of dominance of the three great gods (Nadal, Federer and Djokovic).
Keeping it until the end of the year is the great objective of Alcaraz. At the moment, the path started in the last Masters 1000 of the year is the right one. In Paris-Bercy, one of the few places that Nadal resisted, he debuted with a serious victory against Yoshihito Nishioka by a double 6-4 in one hour and twelve minutes.
The tennis player from El Palma showed his most competitive and less hesitant version of his last starts, beating the Japanese without too many complications. Alcaraz's debuts have not been easy since his coronation in New York. The first contact in subsequent tournaments cost more than normal. He lost his first Davis Cup match against a major rival like Felix Auger-Aliassime. Emotional hangover and physical exhaustion had a pass; only five days had passed since he touched the sky at Flushing Meadows.
More surprising was the loss against an old cat like David Goffin in Astana. In Basel he finally won, but after much rowing against a mid-level opponent like Jack Draper, who scratched him the first set. Nishioka was the likely rival to overcome the elimination in the semifinals of the Swiss tournament last weekend. The World No. 38 had never been able to beat any of the top 5 in his 18 meetings and this was no exception.
Distinguished this week by the ATP at the Accor Arena with the number one trophy, the youngest tennis player in history to achieve it knew how to compete and be patient even when the match did not go as he wanted. The blank break in the fifth game was annulled in the eighth. He played poorly and let Nishioka back in the first set.
But this time Alcaraz did not want surprises or prolong the game more than it should. His quick reaction with good winners and legs - the knee discomfort seems to have been left behind - allowed him to serve for the set. Said and done.
In the second sleeve Nishioka planted more battle if possible. He knew how to get out of a bad first initial game without conceding his service and prolonged the partial until Alcaraz said enough. With patience and selecting the shots well, the brave Murcian prevailed over the rest and repeated the script of the previous set: serve without giving rise to surprise.
A victory in the second round will ensure the 19-year-old reaches the Turin Masters Cup at the top of the table. Only Nadal can get in his way. "I don't think about the pressure at all, it's a dream to be where I am. All this motivates me," he said at the foot of the track after the victory. "I'm trying to have my best level and I think I played a very good game today," he added.
