Night was falling in Monte Carlo when Carlos Alcaraz arrived at his hotel for express recovery. Hours after his defeat in the final against Jannik Sinner, this Monday, he was already heading to the airport to fly to Barcelona and will debut in the Trofeo Conde de Godó on Tuesday against the Finnish player Otto Virtanen. His main concession will be to skip the pre-match training and go straight into competition.
The ATP calendar offers no respite, let alone a few days to mourn a lost title, even if it's a Masters 1000, even against his historical rival. "The goal remains to play the entire clay court season. We'll see how it goes. I also wanted to do it last year and couldn't due to injury. So I'm crossing my fingers and praying that nothing happens. Now I listen to my body much better than last year, that's for sure, and if I have to miss a tournament, I will," he commented while his rival, Sinner, announced that he wouldn't pick up a racket until Wednesday - he doesn't have a tournament this week - and then decide whether to go to the Mutua Madrid Open.
After the defeat, Alcaraz could regain the number one spot if he wins the Godó title - last year he lost in the final - but that is not the main focus. Everything now revolves around rebuilding his tennis, rebuilding his confidence, and gearing up for Roland Garros. In just six weeks, the second Grand Slam of the season begins, and unlike what happened at the Australian Open, the Spaniard will arrive behind Sinner.
"I am not surprised at all by what he has done these days in Monte Carlo. I had already seen Jannik's level on clay last year, and I think he has improved a lot. He is reaching a level on this surface that is really dangerous. Now he understands the game very well on this clay," analysed Alcaraz who, after the match, in the typical net exchange, wanted to congratulate his historical rival for his evolution on clay. "Hard court, grass, and clay. All surfaces," he said, and Sinner replied, politely, that "it's always a pleasure" to face him.
"In crucial moments, in decisive points, I didn't play well. I had many break opportunities during the match and didn't take advantage of them. I failed in the first set tiebreak, when he played incredible tennis. That was the key to today's match. The conditions were difficult. I like playing in the wind, I think it benefits me, and this time it was annoying because it wasn't blowing in the same direction. But Jannik's tennis was better," he acknowledged.
Meanwhile, Sinner celebrated the title with the ball boys and went home, as he lives in the Principality, in the La Condamine neighbourhood, where he says he can lead a normal life. His excitement for the victory stemmed from the fact that for the first time in a long time, his entire family was in the stands. The Italian admitted to being "pleasantly surprised" by his performance throughout the week.
"I think I still need a little time to realize what has happened," he admitted, before explaining that the key had been to adapt his game to each opponent: "I didn't play the same type of tennis against everyone. We were changing small things." Looking ahead, the Italian is not overconfident: Roland Garros will be tough, but he approaches them all with a new certainty under his belt. He had never won a major tournament on clay before, and now he has. The challenge for Alcaraz will be significant.