Carlos Alcaraz has finally conceded that he can no longer finish the year as World No.1 after his Paris Masters exit. The Spaniard was knocked out in the opening round by Roman Safiullin, who won in straight sets. 6-3 6-4. Alcaraz suffered a similar defeat in Shanghai Masters at the hands of Grigor Dimitrov.
Carlos Alcaraz won the Wimbledon title in July but has not won a single title in six consecutive tournaments since. The 20-year-old admitted after the US Open that his goal for the rest of the season was to catch Novak Djokovic for the No.1 ranking. However, the Spaniard has failed in his attempts so far and has now given up on the goal.
After getting knocked out in the semifinals of the US Open, Alcaraz took a break from tennis and skipped the Davis Cup. Later, Djokovic skipped the Asian swing of the season to rest his body. This was the perfect time for Alcaraz to close the gap at the top of the rankings. However, the Spaniard performed below par in Beijing and Shanghai.
And now another opening round defeat at the Paris Masters has virtually ended his hopes of bagging the year-end number 1 ranking. To add to Alcaraz’s problems, Novak Djokovic is motoring along well in the tournament. Djokovic will take on Danish youngster and defending champion, Holger Rune in the quarterfinals.
According to Tennis World USA, Alcaraz has already given up on the No.1 ranking. The 20-year-old expected to reach the finals of the Paris Masters and so losing in his first match itself has come across as a big shock to him.
“There are days like this, but it’s difficult for me to exit like this in a tournament where I hoped I could reach the final. It’s a failure, and it hurts. I am disappointed by my level and how I felt on court. I have many things to improve if I want to have decent chances at the ATP Finals. I came to Paris with the clear idea to play the ATP Finals with an option to be back at the No 1 on spot in the rankings. I think my chances are gone now.”
Carlos Alcaraz shifts his attention to the ATP Finals
With the year-end No.1 ranking a distant possibility now, Alcaraz has shifted his attention to the ATP Finals in Turin. After losing in the Paris Masters, the 20-year-old has admitted that he needs to practice more in preparation for the mega event.
Novak Djokovic will start the tournament as the favorite and the defending champion. However, the Serbian star has tough competition in the form of Daniil Medvedev, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The ATP Finals will take place from November 12 and the winner would bag 1500 points.
