Carlos Alcaraz continues to showcase his elite form following his return from the injury that forced him to withdraw from the Madrid Open. The young Spaniard secured a commanding victory over Jack Draper in the Rome Open quarterfinals, earning his place in the tournament’s semifinals and a significant ranking boost ahead of the Roland Garros.
With his victory over the World No. 5, Alcaraz locked in the ATP’s No. 2 ranking, pushing Alexander Zverev down to No. 3. To achieve this milestone, Alcaraz needed to either reach the Rome Open semifinals or count on Zverev failing to defend his title.
“I think it’s great being second seed in Roland Garros, knowing that I’m going to not see Jannik before the final, if I reach it. I think it’s great,” Alcaraz said. “It’s something that I didn’t think about, honestly. Before coming here, the No. 1, it wasn’t a goal. Knowing that, it’s a great thing”.
Securing the No. 2 ranking is a pivotal achievement for Alcaraz, as it ensures he won’t face World No. 1 Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros until the final, should both players advance that far.
Alcaraz reflects on his victory
The match didn’t start smoothly for Alcaraz, as Draper broke his serve early to take a 4-2 lead in the first set. However, the Spaniard responded emphatically, denying Draper another game to claim the set 6-4. Alcaraz credited his aggressive mindset for the comeback and his progression to the semifinals, where he will face Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti.
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“I think the most important thing that I did today was not thinking about the shots at all. Not thinking about the fact that I was down, just trying to do the things that make me happy,” Alcaraz noted. “On court, I just tried to be aggressive, play good shots, drop shots, go to the net. That’s what I like to do on the court, and I think that made the difference today”.
“I played such a high rhythm during the whole match that I didn’t let him dominate or stay long in the rallies,” he added. “I think that was a really good win today for me, and I’m just really proud about the way I approached the match”.
Reflecting on his clay season
Despite a challenging clay season marked by an adductor injury during the Barcelona Open final, which sidelined him for the Madrid Masters, Alcaraz remains optimistic about his recent performance.
“I just feel that I play great tennis on clay,” Alcaraz admitted. “I started the clay season really well. Obviously, it was sad that I got injured after Barcelona, but it’s always difficult to be in shape for the whole swing”.
“I’m just excited to keep it going and try to compete as well as I can,” he continued. “I’m just happy to feel the good rhythm, feel the good tennis again here in Rome, and obviously this match has given me a lot of confidence”.
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