Carlos Alcaraz is desperately looking for his best form. After a disappointing loss in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, the Spaniard fell again before the final in Buenos Aires, beaten by Nicolas Jarry, the world No 21, in straight sets in a semi-final where he was far from his best. Alcaraz is yet to win a title in 2024.
If the Spaniard is used to putting his defeats into perspective, this time he seemed particularly dejected in his post-match press conference. Unhappy with his level of play but also with his attitude, Juan Carlos Ferrero’s protégé is still finding himself.
“It’s a tough loss for me. It hurts me a lot,” the Spaniard said.
“There is a lot of room for improvement. I played some good tennis, but I have to raise the bar, I’m far from my true level. It was a complicated tournament, the first on clay in a long time,” he told reporters.
Alcaraz won his first two meetings against the Chilean last year but could not find a way past Jarry this time around.
“With Jarry, it was difficult to get into the game. I had many opportunities that I didn’t take. When you waste them against players like him, it costs you dearly.”
Competing in Rio next week, where he was runner-up last year, the 20-year-old has already pointed out his areas for improvement.
“It’s been a difficult week but I’ve retained a lot of things to improve. Compared to 2023, there has been no improvement. For me, this is a very important element.
“My level of play is based on concentration, my attitude and my energy. In those games, I’ve had a lot of ups and downs that I can’t afford.”
He will open his tournament against Brazilian Thiago Monteiro, ranked 118th in the world.
