Carlos Alcaraz will make his tennis return at the Barcelona Open starting on Monday and he's excited to get the title defence underway.
Alcaraz won a few trophies last year but he's yet to successfully defend a trophy this year. His first chance came in Rio but he was beaten by Norrie in the final. The second one came in Miami but he was beaten by Sinner so Barcelona will be his 3rd chance to do so. Maybe 3rd time proves the charm for Alcaraz as he is excited about being back in the city. He has many good memories of it.
I love playing in Barcelona, I have very good memories, not only from last year, but also as a child. I'm going to try to avoid the pressure of being favorite and go out on court to enjoy. I will think of everything except defending the title.
Alcaraz withdrew from Monte-Carlo citing two separate issues. It sounded quite complicated with many fans fearing a long absence but the Spaniard was able to quickly turn things around and he's feeling really good. Speaking ahead of the event, he confirmed that he's had two practice sessions that went well but there are still things that need refining.
At the moment I have had two training sessions with Denis Shapovalov and Casper Ruud, and they have gone very well. I need to pick up the pace, play points, and with these players it suits me very well. There are still a few days left, but for now I'm doing well.
Defending a trophy successfully is more than just playing well on the court. That is the biggest part of it but there is a good portion that is quite mental. You need to deal with the added pressure of being a defending champion but for Alcaraz, it's just normal.
Since last year I have improved a lot on a mental level, especially on the court. I feel like I read the game better, and that helps me turn things around when things aren't going well. I always say that tennis is very mental, and that's where I see my leap.
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