It marked an emphatic return to form for Alcaraz, who started the season having gone nine months without winning a title. After snapping that streak by defending his Indian Wells title, he opened up about the emotional toll of that period: “I didn’t enjoy stepping on the court. I wasn’t myself on the court the last, let’s say, two or three months, so it was difficult for me.”
Alcaraz seemed to struggle mentally once again after coming up just short in the final of the Olympic Games in Paris, where he finished runner-up to Djokovic. But he was soon back to his winning ways in Beijing, defeating Sinner in the final, before eventually bowing out of the ATP Finals in the round robin stage.
“Every player wants to be in the final, wants to go as far as you can during the tournaments. This year, I’ve played great tournaments and really bad tournaments,” Alcaraz reflected in Turin. “My goal at the end is to be there all the time.”—Stephanie Livaudais
