Alcaraz: 'I don't feel defeated after Wimbledon'

World number two Carlos Alcaraz denies being worried about his nearly year-long title drought, saying he is improving.

"I'm not disappointed, nor do I see myself as a failure after Wimbledon," Alcaraz said in an interview ahead of his BNP Paribas Open debut on March 6. "I'm learning from those experiences and moments. Losses are always a big lesson."

Alcaraz at a press conference before the BNP Paribas Open on March 6 in Indian Wells, California, USA. Photo: ATP — Alcaraz at a press conference before the BNP Paribas Open on March 6 in Indian Wells, California, USA. Photo: *ATP*

Alcaraz has only reached one final since winning Wimbledon in 2023, losing to Novak Djokovic at the Cincinnati Masters. He then lost to Daniil Medvedev in the US Open semi-finals, then to Djokovic in the ATP Finals semi-finals. The Spaniard extended his title drought to earlier this year, losing to the Australian Open quarter-finals, Argentina Open semi-finals, and retiring from his opening match at the Rio Open due to injury.

Having reached only one final in his last 10 tournaments has raised doubts about Alcaraz's ability to progress to the next level, after his explosive performance in his first two years on the ATP Tour.

"I have spoken about this with the coach and we will resolve it internally," Alcaraz added. "I always look at my own performance and focus on improving. Actually, I have reached the quarter-finals and semi-finals of some big tournaments and you cannot consider that a failure at this age."

Alcaraz has won two Grand Slams, among 12 ATP titles. He is the youngest world number one in history after winning the 2022 US Open at the age of 19. Competition with the Spanish talent is getting fiercer as Djokovic remains steady and Jannik Sinner is on the rise.

During Alcaraz's slump, Sinner has emerged victorious, including this year's Australian Open, to equal his tally of 12 ATP titles. Sinner is also likely to take Alcaraz's world number two ranking next week.

Alcaraz needs to defend 1,000 points at Indian Wells this year. He enters the tournament as the defending champion and second seed, facing Italian Matteo Arnaldi in the second round. According to the bracket, Alcaraz could face Sinner in the semi-finals.

Vy Anh

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