WATCH: Alcaraz Practices For First Time On Clay Ahead Of Monte-Carlo Masters
ATPThursday, 04 April 2024 at 12:00
Carlos Alcaraz's preparations for the clay court season have officially begun after he was seen hitting on the clay for the first time.
Alcaraz is now back in Europe after a very busy March in the United States during the Sunshine Double. He won his first tournament since Wimbledon at the Indian Wells Open, which included a stunning triumph against Jannik Sinner.
Many will have very high expectations for the Spaniard during the clay court season. Interestingly, Patrick Mouratoglou believes Alcaraz tries to avoid pressure with his claims about how much he enjoys tennis.
Other ex-players and analysts also believe the 20 year old and the younger generation to be successful. For instance, Ivan Ljubicic thinks Alcaraz and Sinner are now ahead of everyone else, even Novak Djokovic.
Such comments make the upcoming ATP Masters 1000 events on clay even more interesting. Alcaraz is expected to perform very strongly, which means preparing in the right manner becomes even more important for the two-time Grand Slam champion.
In the video that can be seen below. Alcaraz practices on the clay for the first time in Spain. He is set to fly to Monte-Carlo in a few days time for the opening Masters 1000 tournament on the red dirt.
The part of the practice that can be seen clearly shows it is the Spaniard's first clay-court practice. He is not playing with the intensity of a match situation yet, wisely giving himself some time to get used to the surface again.
Alcaraz is known for his friendly personality. This is briefly witnessed in the video when he overhits a forehand and can be heard saying sorry to the person he is practicing with, before resuming his hitting.
The 20 year old has a perfect game for clay and most agree it is only a matter of time before he wins the French Open. With the right preparation, it could be this year.
Loading
