Alcaraz returns to the pit at the Mubadala Tennis World Championship

There was already a desire to see the number one in the world play again. And the wait is over, because Carlos Alcaraz will compete again this Saturday (4:00 p.m., without TV in Spain, it can be seen on IPTV on Abu Dhabi Sports), one month and 13 days after his last game, the one he lost by withdrawing against the Dane Holger Rune, ultimately champion, at the Masters 1,000 in Paris on November 4. It will be in an exhibition tournament, the Mubadala Tennis World Championship in Abu Dhabiagainst Andrey Rublevafter the Russian, current title holder, beat Croatian Borna Coric 7-6 (4) 6-4 in the quarterfinals on Friday.

Alcaraz, who enters directly into the semifinals, the same as Casper Ruud, who will face Stefanos Tsitsipas (the Greek beat the British Cameron Norrie 6-1, 6-4), traveled to the Arab emirate last Wednesday with his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, his physio, Juanjo Moreno, and his agent, Albert Molina. “I feel good finally. I had a month to recover from the abdomen and right now I feel almost one hundred percent. I have been training normally last week and I feel very good”, said the Murcian 19-year-old at the press conference he offered at the International Tennis Center of Zayed Sports City, where ATP and WTA tournaments are held annually. Carlitos suffered an abdominal injury in Paris that prevented him from playing in the ATP Finals and with Spain in the Davis Cup Finals. So he comes back with enthusiasm and some delay in his preseason due to a cold.

In Abu Dhabi he will continue preparing for the 2023 campaign, which for him will officially begin at the Australian Open, since he will not participate in any of the previous tournaments that will take place from December 29 in the oceanic country. Alcaraz will return to Spain on Monday and continue with his training at the Equelite Academy in Villena, with the idea of ​​strengthening himself to face a course in which he has to defend the leadership of the ranking. “Of course, having a target in the back against everyone is going to be a bit different for me this year and I have to be ready for that.”he warns. And he warns: “I will try to finish 2023 in the same position as now. It will be a long season, but of course I’m going to enjoy it”.

Defending

The fact is that Alcaraz has many points to defend, although in Australia he can winsince last January he fell there in the third round against the Italian Matteo Berrettini. In 2022 he has won five titles, uno de Grand Slam, el US Opentwo from Masters 1,000, Miami and Madrid, and two in ATP 500, Rio and Barcelona, with a loot of 5,000 points. Furthermore, it was finalist in Hamburg and Umag, and a semifinalist in Indian Wells and Basel.

To top, will have behind, lurking, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic, which has a lot to gain. Alcaraz spoke of the Serbian’s participation in the first major of the year: “Tennis is better with the best players in the world, and it’s also good for the fans to see a tournament with the best. Speaking for myself, I want to see Novak play in every tournament. I always said that if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best player in the world.” This Saturday afternoon, the ATP Most Improved Player, who trained with Ruud on Fridaywill be presented to the public in Abu Dhabi for the first time, with all the VIP tickets sold, although there was not much of a general public on the opening day.