Carlos Alcaraz is still just 21, but he’s already challenging some of the received wisdom about a champion’s mentality—how a great one approaches the game, deals with adversity and views rivals.
The No. 3-ranked Spaniard faced a slew of questions from reporters when he met with them before the start of this week’s Monte Carlo Masters. Everyone wanted to know how he feels about leaving the Sunshine Double without having made a final. Is he concerned that the only tournament he’s won this year is the indoor Rotterdam event? Is he concerned about the state of his game?
All good, solid questions, all easily handled and defused by Alcaraz. He is no closer to displacing No. 1 -anked Jannik Sinner at the top of the ATP rankings than he was back in February, when Sinner was banished from the game for three months for a doping violation.
It doesn’t appear to perturb Alcaraz at all.
“I am really happy with the way I am playing,” Alcaraz told the reporters. “Since I started the year I have been playing great tennis. Tennis is not just about hitting the ball. It is about more than that. It is about mentality, physical side.”
