Carlos Alcaraz explains his Shanghai withdrawal ahead of Paris return

Sunday, 26 October 2025 at 11:58

byErik Virostko

Carlos Alcaraz will return to competitive action at the 2025 Paris Masters after missing the previous tournament of this category.

Alcaraz last competed at the Japan Open in Tokyo (apart from the exhibition in Riyadh). After that, he withdrew from the Shanghai Masters, as he wasn't ready to play so shortly after suffering an ankle injury in Tokyo.

Despite his withdrawal from the ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai, Alcaraz still traveled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to compete at the Six Kings Slam. However, the Paris Masters will be his first official tournament back on the courts.

Therefore, the 22-year-old Spaniard was asked about his recovery after the Japan Open. He explained that he used the time to get in good shape for the remainder of the season, as he plans to compete at the Paris Masters, the ATP Finals, and the Davis Cup Finals.

"Obviously, I didn't want to withdraw from Shanghai. It's a really important tournament for me and for the players. But I had to heal my body, and I think I wasn't ready to play another tournament in a row. So I just preferred to come back home, I recovered the ankle, and trying to be in good shape for this time of the year."

"I think we could see last year, two years ago, that I'm not coming fresh to this time of the year. So I really wanted to put more attention on that, being in good shape, practicing well, and coming here, thinking that I can do a really good result. So right now, physically, I'm feeling good. I'm just practicing well, hitting the ball really well. So I just really want to see myself playing again here."

Carlos Alcaraz assesses playing conditions at new Paris Masters venue

This year's Paris Masters will be played at a new venue. After entertaining fans in Paris-Bercy for almost four decades, the last ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the season will be held at the La Défense Arena in 2025.

Naturally, the biggest question mark was the conditions at the new venue. Before hitting the court for the first time, players didn't know whether the courts would be faster or slower, but now, they know the answer.

Alcaraz explained that the conditions at the new venue are slower than at Bercy, which should suit him and the fans, who will be able to enjoy longer rallies.

"Well, I mean, this year is totally different than last year. I think it is a huge difference, which I like (smiling). The speed of the court, yeah, it's much slower than last year, but I think it is a really good speed that we can see tennis, not only serve, or it's not only serve plus one. So you can see rallies, you can see points, you can see tennis. So I think it's great."

"Obviously, I've said many times that I like slower courts, not that fast. But yeah, we will see. Yeah, obviously, this tournament is not my best one in terms of results, but I love playing here. The time of the year, it's been long with the indoor. I'm not really used to playing indoors, but year after year, I think I'm getting more used to it. So we will see this year. Hopefully, go further than previous years."

Carlos Alcaraz denies 'bad indoor player' label

Despite being a six-time Grand Slam champion and an overall incredibly successful player, Alcaraz has yet to impress on indoor hard courts. That includes the ATP Finals, the Davis Cup Finals, and the Paris Masters.

This year, he will try to change that. Alcaraz explained that he doesn't see himself as a bad indoor player, he was just unlucky to run into some indoor specialists in the previous seasons

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm bad at playing indoors. I think other players are better than me on the indoor side. It's a huge difference saying that. I see myself practicing, playing matches where I can play really good tennis, but obviously, there are some matches that I played against someone that they are playing much, much better indoors than I do."

"So I have to be ready for that, but I think I will get good tennis on indoor. If I had to choose one between those three tournaments, you would get me in trouble (smiling). To be honest, I don't know. It's the big three tournaments that I have ahead. So, Turin, it's a really important one for me, but obviously, the Davis Cup, playing with my teammates for my country, it's a really special one."