Now this too: When Carlos Alcaraz was about to answer at the press conference after his final victory at the tournament in Indian Wells against Daniil Medvedev, he was suddenly interrupted. An automated voice boomed through the speakers. It was an alarm message. The people on the complex should leave all closed rooms as quickly as possible and just stop using the elevators.
Alcaraz looked incredulous. There was unrest in the media room. But only for a few seconds. It quickly turned out that it was a false alarm. The Spaniard found his big laugh again and joked: “First the bees, then the rain and now this too.”
The 20-year-old Spaniard had a strange journey in Indian Wells. In terms of sport, things went like clockwork for the defending champions from 2023. It was more the circumstances surrounding his victories that he meant. During his quarterfinal against the German Alexander Zverev, an angry swarm of bees actually caused an interruption. One lap further into this fantastic semi-final between Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the heavy rain came shortly after the start. This time the break lasted three and a half hours. No problem for Alcaraz. The false alarm after the final was the least of the problems.
Resistance in paradise
Alcaraz had to overcome some obstacles in the “Tennis Paradise”, as the tournament in the Californian desert is called. Yes, of course there were his opponents. Against Medvedev, against whom he had already played in the final last year, it was tight, especially in the first set. Alcaraz quickly found itself 3-0 behind. The Russian’s game is practically spin-free. This initially caused major problems for the two-time Grand Slam champion.
The laughter is back: Alcaraz has overcome his mental problems for the time being. : Image: AFP
One scene that was decisive for the turnaround was a short conversation with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. After the false start, he called out to him from the box to change the return position and move further towards the baseline. The hint worked. Alcaraz got better and better with Medvedev’s brutal serve. With a perfect balance of risk and security, he outplayed the Russians, especially in the second set.
But Alcaraz’s victory was above all a victory over himself. The young Spaniard had not won a tournament for nine months after his triumph at Wimbledon. The epic win against Novak Djokovic at the All England Club, many thought, could be the start of a new reign in tennis. Instead, a little period of suffering began. Alcaraz also won big matches, but no more tournaments. At the Australian Open at the beginning of the year he was eliminated in the quarterfinals against Zverev.
As Alcaraz now thoughtfully described after winning the Indian Wells tournament, the dip in performance was also mental. “You know, the last few months have been difficult for me because I’ve lost myself a bit. I found it difficult to have fun on the pitch. My family, my team and people around me asked me what was wrong with me and why I wasn’t laughing on the tennis court anymore.”
The energy is back
The young Spaniard himself once said about his attitude to tennis: “Playing tennis should never be a duty.” But that was how it always looked at Alcaraz after Wimbledon. It took many months to swim free again. According to Alcaraz, the biggest and most important realization after the Indian Wells victory was that he managed to overcome the problems in his head. Now the energy can be felt again – also because he always believed in himself.
“I’m enjoying tennis again,” said Alcaraz, whose renewed ease in the Indian Wells final was noticeable, especially in the second set. Countless courageous attacks at the net, the scattering of pointless stop balls, exciting forehand whips and a kick serve that repeatedly drove Medvedev far out – these were the ingredients for a game that, as it must have felt for Alcaraz, was finally breathtaking again.
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With his victory in “Tennis Paradise”, Alcaraz proved to himself that he can overcome crises. That he can free himself. It remains to be seen whether the path has now been paved for the 20-year-old Spaniard. This week things continue at the highest level. At the Miami Open, like Indian Wells, a prestigious Masters 1000 tournament, he is immediately in demand again. “Tennis never sleeps” is what this sport says. Roger Federer was the last person to win the two Masters events in a row. Only the very greatest can achieve the so-called “Sunshine Double”. Alcaraz has set itself the goal. Everything seems possible again now.
2024-03-18 12:21:00
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