Alcaraz reveals key lesson he used to lift Monte-Carlo trophy

Carlos Alcaraz is ready for the challenges coming his way.

After winning the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters for the first time on Sunday, the Spaniard explained that he expects “difficult months ahead”. But the 21-year-old revealed he has learned important lessons recently that he hopes will help him along the way.

“A lot of people have really high expectations on me, on having a really good clay season. Probably they want me to win almost every tournament, so it’s [going to] be difficult to deal with it, I guess,” Alcaraz said. “But one thing that I learned the last month is I have to think about myself. I have to think about myself. I have to just think about my people, my team, my family, my friends, my close friends. No matter what happens on court — if I win, if I lose — I just have to leave the court happy. I’m proud about everything I have done. So that’s something that I learned, and I think I did it this week and it paid off.”

Entering Monte-Carlo, Alcaraz had lost two consecutive matches — his Indian Wells semi-final against eventual champion Jack Draper and his opening match in Miami against David Goffin. With an improved mindset, the new No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Live Rankings was able to return to top form in the Principality and his goal is to maintain it as the clay season continues.

“In the next couple of months in this clay season, I will try to just keep going the same way that I approach this tournament and not think about the people talking about expectations,” Alcaraz said. “Just I will [listen to] my close people and [when] my team have things to say to me, and that’s all that matters to me. I will try to approach the clay season like this.”

The six-time ATP Masters 1000 champion was with Samuel Lopez this week and according to Alcaraz, the veteran coach provided key bits of wisdom throughout the tournament.

“Probably ‘Stay positive’ is the thing that he repeated most this week. ‘Stay strong and stay positive’,” Alcaraz said. “One thing that he told me and probably was the key of this great week was, ‘You have to face the difficulties you have. Face it, not avoid it’.

“I think that changed a lot, because in the matches, you have to face them, not be worried about them, not be afraid of them. When you realise and you accept it and you face it, everything is going the right way.”

Alcaraz joined an illustrious list of Spaniards who have won the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. That group includes 11-time champion Rafael Nadal and Alcaraz’s coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero.

“I wish to win it more than once. Thinking about 11 is impossible, honestly,” Alcaraz said, cracking a smile. “I have been talking with my team several times to [discuss] what Rafa did on clay. It is one of the most difficult things to do in sport, or one of the greatest things he has done, not in tennis, in [all] sports, winning the same tournament 11 times, 14 times, tournaments like this one, tournament like Roland Garros.”

Alcaraz was clear that the records Nadal earned at clay-court events like Monte-Carlo and Roland Garros are “impossible to repeat”.

“I just got my first one [in Monte-Carlo]. Obviously I just want to keep going. Let’s see how many I can get,” Alcaraz said. “If I just keep it with one, I will be more than happy. Doesn’t matter if I don’t get any more Monte-Carlo titles, but I will try for it.”

In the final, Alcaraz defeated Lorenzo Musetti. It was the Italian’s first championship match at an ATP Masters 1000 event.

“I’m not surprised that Lorenzo is pretty close to be Top 10. He has potential to be there,” Alcaraz said. “He beat Top-10 players many times. He faced the best players in the world. I mean, he beat them and he can play really tough matches match after match after match.

“So that’s the Top 10, do it during the whole year. So I think he has the weapons. He has the level.”

The key message Alcaraz shared in his post-match press conference was not about the trophy itself, but his mentality. He will return to No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday and is also in first in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. But the 18-time tour-level champion’s focus is elsewhere.

“Talking about the things that I learned the last couple of months… is not thinking about anything else but enjoying on court,” Alcaraz said. “Something that I realised that I had to do is not thinking about anything else but enjoying. So I’m not thinking about the ranking anymore. Just keep going, making the things that I enjoy, that make me happy. It is [stepping] on the court, showing good tennis, and that’s it.

“If I win, it is great. If I don’t win, I will learn and just keep going and making the things that make me happy.”