"A little yes" - Alcaraz admits feeling surprised about meteoric rise

Thursday, 21 July 2022 at 19:00

Updated at Saturday, 14 December 2024 at 14:22

Alcaraz Carlos Wimbledon2022 MartinSidorjak5

byZachary Wimer

Carlos Alcaraz did not expect to have such a dramatic rise this year but the Spaniard is happy about it and doesn't mind the pressure.

Alcaraz has proven at an early age that he's certainly capable of being a great champion. It will take some more success for the Spaniard to truly elevate himself to that status, but he's certainly on the right path.

His rise this year has been surprising and spectacular but it was never in doubt. He knows it, even though it did catch him by surprise a little bit, as he admitted in a recent interview.

"The truth is that a little yes, I have had surprising results this year, I did not expect to evolve as fast as I did, but I work for it. As I always say, hard work pays off, although in my case it was all a bit quick and surprising."

With the increased success comes higher expectations, but he's always had lofty goals, and he never shied away from admitting so.

"I know what my goals are, I don’t think too much about the pressure that comes from outside. I try to keep learning, keep adding experiences and always try to give my best version in each game. I feel that I play for myself, for my team and my family, I don’t focus on the expectations that people may have. I just push it away."

The Spanish player was also asked about ranking goals, but he admitted that instead of focusing on the rankings, his focus is on making it to the ATP Finals at the end of the season, a tournament for which the eight best players qualify.

"It would be a good goal, but right now my thoughts are not on the ranking, but on reaching the ATP Finals in Turin at the end of the season. For me, the ranking isn’t the most important thing right now, although I’m fighting to continue winning games and winning tournaments, as that is what will lead me to continue climbing."