Alcaraz Stumbles in Paris, Faces โฃQuestions After Conflicting Court Speed Comments
PARIS -โค carlos Alcaraz suffered a surprising defeat in Paris, culminating in a performance he โขdeemed โคthe second-worstโ of the season, following a similar early exit in Miami against David Goffin. The loss comes after Alcaraz recently stated a preference for slowerโ court speeds,a sentiment seemingly contradicted by his on-court complaintsโ during the Parisโฃ match thatโข the conditions were “worse than Monte Carlo.”
The world number โขtwo struggled with 54 unforcedโค errors, leading to criticism from tennis analyst Jim Courier, who โremarked, “I don’t getโค it, he โplayed in โค’kamikaze’ mode. He made 54 unforced errors, it’s like he basically gave up two whole sets.” Alcaraz himself acknowledged a strategicโค misstep,stating,”I practiced a lot here,and Iโ felt good about it,but from the second set,when I tried to play โbetter,the โexact opposite happened. โขI probably chose a completely wrong strategy.”
Prior to his disappointing performance, Alcaraz was observed joking with Jiลรญ Leheฤka during training. Despite โthe lighthearted moment, the spaniard’s formโ quickly deteriorated during the match.
Alcaraz now shifts โhis focus to the Tournament of Champions in Turin and โฃthe Davis Cup, with the latter โholding particular interest for Czech fans, as the Czech Republic, led by Tomas Berdych, is scheduled to face Spainโ on Novemberโ 20.
The WTA Finals, featuring barbora Krejฤรญkovรก, Tomรกลก Berdych, Tereza Valentovรก, and Kateลina Siniakovรก, will be broadcast live โon CANAL+ Sport 2 from November 1 to 8.