Roman Safiullin, a Russian tennis player, 45th in the world, who does not have a clothing sponsor and stays in cheap hotels, has revealed the shortcomings of the ATP number two, Carlos Alcaraz: he reaches the end of the course very fair in gasoline. Like last year it already happened. The Murcian tennis player, who lost on Tuesday night in the first round of the Paris-Bercy Masters 1,000 with Safiullin (6-3, 6-4), has not won any tournament for three months and has not reached a final.
Since he brilliantly conquered Wimbledon against Novak Djokovic in July, Alcaraz has accumulated six defeats in the successive tournaments he has played: Canada (quarterfinals), Cincinnati (final), the US Open (semifinal), Beijing (semifinal), Masters 1,000 from Shanghai (fourth round) and now Paris-Bercy (first round). That is, six defeats in the last three months of the ten that he accumulates in all of 2023 (63-10)...
So the 20-year-old tennis player from El Palmar loses almost all his chances of regaining the world number 1. Djokovic, who leads him by 580 points in the ATP rankings with his victory yesterday (he beat the Argentine Tomás Etcheverry, 6-3, 6-2), could increase the difference to 1,495 if he wins on Sunday in Paris.
What's wrong with Alcaraz? Is the season getting long? Why is he no longer that explosive and lethal tennis player who won six tournaments in the first half of 2023?
The microphone at the Accor Arena in Paris-Bercy conveys the explanation that Alcaraz gave last night, after losing to the Russian Safiullin: “I didn't feel good in the match. I think I wasn't moving well. He had good quality in his punches, but physically, in terms of movement, I have to improve a lot,” said the man from Murcia, who has suffered physical discomfort in recent times.
For example, last week he missed the Basel tournament due to “inflammation in his left foot and problems with his gluteal muscles.” He rested to better reach Paris, but he was not fit. “I'm not going to say that I'm 100% because it could be a lie,” the Murcian, who seems to be exhausted because of his demanding and explosive playing style, protected himself in the preview of the Bercy tournament.
–Probably, the season has been too, too long... –Alcaraz admitted, trying to find a plausible explanation for his slump in play and results.
–Probably, that affects my game… –the world number 2 shrugs.
The truth is that the Murcian is seen as imprecise and noticeably below his capabilities. Against the Russian he had a hard time finding his level and gave up serve at 4-3 in a bad match that included a double fault and two unforced errors. The Murcian had a 3-1 lead in the second set, but he made a mistake on his serve, failing at the end of a long exchange of blows. His strength failed him. And Safiullin ended up taking the match in his second match ball when Carlitos returned a deflected blow. He lacked precision.
“I'm disappointed in myself, in my level of play, I expected a lot more,” confessed Alcaraz, who had felt “slow.” “I haven't moved well at all. There are many things to improve if I want to have the slightest chance at the Masters [the ATP Finals, in Turin, from November 12 to 19].”
Alcaraz, who closed 2022 as the youngest number 1 in history at the end of a season (19 years old), admits that he is paying for the fatigue and wear and tear attributable to the accumulation of games (he has played 73). “It is the end of the season, which has been very long, very demanding, and it is normal for problems to appear, we have to face them, play as well as possible and manage those problems,” the Murcian prescribed, who seemed emotionally affected. in Paris. “This is one of the rare moments when I don't want to think about the days to come, about training and everything else.”
