Carlos Alcaraz suffered a surprising defeat at the 2024 Miami Open, but he's already looking ahead to the next challenges.
The Spaniard had high hopes for the Miami Open after rediscovering his best tennis at the Indian Wells Open. He played rather well, winning a few matches comfortably, and then had to play Grigor Dimitrov.
The Bulgarian has played on a really high level for months, so much so that he's on the verge of returning to the Top 10. He played another great match, outplaying Alcaraz in two sets.
It was a hugely disappointing loss for the Spaniard, but there is no time to really dwell on it. The clay season is coming up quickly, and it's a hugely important part of the season for Alcaraz.
He has a lot of points to defend and is expected to do really well, and that's what he hopes to do. Speaking after his Miami Open loss, Alcaraz underlined the need to practice more, hoping to keep doing well in the coming weeks.
"Well, I don't know. I mean, I have to wait a few days to see everything, you know, but there is no time to get down right now. The season, there are a lot of tournaments. The season just begun."
"I have to practice. I'm 100% fine the power, let's say, to continue practicing well, enjoying practicing and really looking forward to playing the next tournament."
Alcaraz has 2265 points to defend on clay in the coming weeks, and that won't be easy for the 20-year-old, who will turn 21 during the Madrid Open. He won trophies in Barcelona and Madrid last year, so getting good preparation for that part of the year will be paramount.
An earlier exit in Miami gives him a chance to prepare really well for those events and for the full clay-court part of the season.