Alcaraz: “I can overcome difficult times now, but I couldn't last year.”

Since stepping foot on American soil again two weeks ago in Cincinnati, where he claimed his twenty-second title, Carlos Alcaraz has displayed the same positive demeanor as always. But now, even more so. Just think back to what happened a year ago on this same stage, when he was knocked out in the second round of the US Open by Dutchman Botic vande Zandschulp . Then, an unexpected accident. "I'm much more prepared now," the Murcian is quick to say, having arrived at Flushing Meadows physically and mentally exhausted after the effort he exerted at the Paris Olympic Games. That circumstance has little or nothing to do with today's: fresh, hungry, invigorated.

Alcaraz intends to polish his outstanding form this season over the next two weeks, in which he has already won six trophies—Rotterdam, Monte Carlo, Rome, Roland Garros, Queen's, and Cincinnati—and in which he is constantly battling with Jannik Sinner for the number one spot. The Italian beat him at the end of Wimbledon , but had previously suffered a severe emotional blow at Roland Garros, and last Monday, suffering from a virus, he waved the white flag at the Cincinnati preparatory training ground after just 23 minutes of the match. There, the Spanish player finally got on track in a pair of thorny duels against Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev.

And here's the turning point, he emphasizes. "Now," he clarifies, "I feel like I'm doing much better, not because I won in Cincinnati , but because mentally I feel like I'm capable of holding on in tough matches, of overcoming those moments on the court. And last year I didn't feel that way." Thus, out of the blue, he was swept away by Van de Zandschulp's whirlwind on an evening that quickly turned against him and in which he was far from finding a solution that would reverse the poor dynamic. Now, however, Alcaraz feels he's accelerated from a psychological and strategic standpoint, and that his rivals fear that he might react at any moment.

“Last year I didn't feel that strong,” he stated in statements reported by the newspaper AS . “This year there were no Olympic Games, which allowed me more time for myself, to disconnect, and also to prepare well for Cincinnati, and it's already clear that I've been doing better,” adds the number two, who, if crowned on September 7, the tournament's final date, would regain the lead on the circuit almost two years after he last tasted it. Alcaraz, 22, one year younger than Sinner, is now a more seasoned, consistent, and feisty competitor, even though his record continues to be based primarily on inspiration.

In recent months, the opponents have found themselves facing a player who has strengthened his guerrilla spirit and is increasingly dominant in general terms, without losing the pace set by the Italian. Both have been sharing the big cake since January 2024, and there is still no sign of anyone truly challenging them. With the duo consolidated , the last great rivalry, from the perspective of fans, the inclusion of a third or fourth player is now demanded to alter the current situation and prevent the competition from becoming a predictable countdown to the clash between the two, wherever it may be.

“I think there are a lot of players at the top right now who are at a very good level, although Jannik [ 63 weeks at the top , without a single break] has shown a lot of superiority. They’ve beaten me many times and games have been more complicated for me than Jannik’s, but the results lately have shown that he and I have been there,” says the El Palmar native. “In the end, whoever deserves to be there, will be. Whoever works to be there, will be. Whether I like it or not that there’s a third… There are people at a very high level who may be going through a difficult time now, but who will reach their peak.”

Alcaraz warns that neither can "stagnate" in the slightest because, otherwise, as Sinner already hinted, those coming behind will catch up. Right now, things aren't looking so simple. As in Melbourne, Paris, and London, the preamble in New York paints a very similar picture. Both are coming into the tournament with a bang—the Murcian will debut on Monday against Reilly Opelka , and the world number one on Tuesday, against Vit Kopriva—while the others are keeping their heads down, accepting a harsh reality. This is what Dane Holger Rune admits, noting in an interview with The Guardian : "Right now, there are only two consistent tennis players in the world."