Carlos Alcaraz was one of the strong favourites to win the trophy going into the US Open 2024. After defeating the Australian Li Tu 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the opening round, he lost to the Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 1-6, 5-7, 4-6 in the second round, disappointing all of his supporters and possibly himself as well. This unexpected loss could be attributed to a number of factors, but two stand out above the others. The calendar’s reoccurring problem is the first. Furthermore, considering that this player is accustomed to competing in tournament finals, it’s possible that he has played a disproportionately high number of matches at this point in the season. We must go all the way back to May, the month he set out to conquer Roland Garros. He participated in all seven matches there, needing to come from behind in the final two thrilling five-set battles. He soon began the grass court circuit, where he was defeated in the round of 16 at Queen’s and then successfully defended his Wimbledon title by defeating Novak Djokovic in the championship match. See also Crestfallen, “What I’m thinking right now is I’m not changing.” After the US Open shock of Van de Zandschulp, Carlos Alcaraz was shellshocked. Crestfallen: “I’m not changing. That’s what I’m thinking right now.” Following Van de Zandschulp, Carlos Alcaraz was devastated. US Open surprise As is typical for any athlete and especially more so for a 21-year-old, all of this took a tremendous mental toll. But then came the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024, when the world number three was the best contender to have won in Paris only a few weeks earlier and had a great desire to deliver Spain the gold medal. He lost the title match and had to settle for silver, falling barely short of his ambition. After that, he had a few days off to recover both psychologically and physically before leaving for the United States to compete in the Cincinnati Open. Prior to it, he had chosen to forego the Canadian Open in order to arrive more rested. Nothing at the Masters 1000 went as planned. In his first match in the competition, he faced Gael Monfils. Though he prevailed in the opening set and two rain breaks, the Frenchman ultimately defeated him 4-6, 6-7(5), 4-6. We had never witnessed him do something so out of the ordinary since he entered the professional ranks until the third set, when he broke a racquet in the middle of the play. The following day, he expressed regret on social media, saying that he had lost all self-control due to his frustration and that he would be prepared for the US Open. The greatest player in the world, Carlos Alcaraz, who is poised to create tennis history, was once again revealed to us in Flushing Meadows, but he still has room for improvement. Carlitos needs to take a serious pause, consider his options, and approach the remaining months of the year with strength, regardless of the nature of the issue. He still has major tournaments to play, such the Davis Cup, the ATP Finals, the Shanghai Masters, and the Paris Masters, where he will undoubtedly want to make amends and claim his first national team championship.
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