Alcaraz: Regrettably missed Shanghai, but the slower pace at the Paris Masters works in my favor

Following his withdrawal from the Shanghai Rolex Masters due to a left ankle injury and almost a month of rest, world No.1 Alcaraz has come back to Paris energized. Even though his previous record at this Masters event is only 5 wins and 4 losses, with the court speed slowing down this year, he feels this tournament might represent a “turning point.”

Alcaraz attending the pre-tournament press conference

"Clearly, I didn’t want to pull out of the Shanghai Masters. That event is very important to me and all players," Alcaraz said at the Paris Masters press conference. "But I had to let my body recover. At the time, I felt I wasn’t ready to compete consecutively. So, I chose to go home to rest and treat my ankle, aiming to return in good shape for the end-of-year events."

"Looking back at last year and the year before, I noticed I always felt quite fatigued during this period. So this year, I’ve paid special attention to that, maintaining my physical condition and ensuring training quality. I want to come here believing I can achieve good results. Right now, my body feels great, my training is going well, and my hitting feels excellent."

Alcaraz’s best result at the Paris Masters was reaching the quarterfinals in 2022, where he lost to eventual champion Rune. Although indoor hard courts have never been his strongest surface, the 22-year-old Spaniard won his first indoor title in Rotterdam this February, marking a significant breakthrough. With the Paris Masters moving to a new venue, the Accor Arena, this year, many players have noticed the court speed has slowed, which suits Alcaraz perfectly.

"This year’s court is completely different from last year’s, and I really like the change," Alcaraz said with a smile. "The court speed is much slower than before, but I think this pace better showcases tennis — it’s not just about serving and one-shot winners after the serve, but about longer rallies, exciting points, and real tennis battles. I’ve often said I prefer slower courts."

"Although my historical record at this event isn’t outstanding, I really enjoy playing here. While I’m not naturally adapted to indoor courts, that is improving year by year. So let’s see how I perform this year — hopefully, I can go further than in previous years."

Regarding his competitiveness on indoor courts, Alcaraz remains both realistic and confident. "I wouldn’t say I’m bad at indoor tournaments, but there are definitely players who perform better than me indoors, and those are two different things," he added. "From training and matches, I know I can play at a high level. But in some past matches, a few opponents have played far better indoors than I did. So I need to be prepared for that, but I believe I can also deliver brilliant tennis indoors."

In the five tournaments where Alcaraz and Sinner have both competed, they have met in the final each time. Sinner has a chance to reclaim the world No.1 ranking from Alcaraz at this Paris Masters. Since winning the US Open and reaching No.1, the Spaniard has held the top spot steadily, but with Sinner’s recent victory in Vienna last week, he has narrowed the points gap. If Sinner wins the Paris Masters title and Alcaraz fails to reach the semifinals, the No.1 ranking will change hands again, allowing Sinner to overtake and reclaim the top position.

(Translated by Wang Fei, Photo courtesy of Visual China)