Carlos Alcaraz’s coach lays out clay court schedule ahead of French Open defence
Carlos Alcaraz is turning his attention to the clay court season after a tough stint at the Miami Open. Last year, the Spaniard had a standout run on clay, taking home titles from Monte Carlo, Rome, and Roland Garros.
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images Carlos Alcaraz is turning his attention to the clay court season after a tough stint at the Miami Open. Last year, the Spaniard had a standout run on clay, taking home titles from Monte Carlo, Rome, and Roland Garros. This time around, he’s scheduled to arrive in Monte Carlo on April 3rd as he looks to put Miami behind him and defend his title.
Samu Lopez reveals Alcaraz’s approach to clay season Photo by Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto via Getty Images Alcaraz has a full calendar following Monte Carlo, and Lopez provided some insight into why they’re embracing such a busy stretch. “Okay, so initially we’re going in with the mindset of playing everything, of playing the whole tour, you know? “I mean, in the end, the Masters 1000s, let’s say that physically they’re not as intense, physically they’re not as intense as when Rafa was playing, when he played every day.
” Alcaraz is expected to compete in Barcelona, Rome and Madrid ahead of Roland Garros. The extended schedule is partly due to his early exit in Miami. The decision reflects a need for match practice rather than just fitness work.
“The idea is to go to all of them,” Lopez said. “If Monte Carlo had gone well if it had gone better in Miami we probably would have ruled it [Monte Carlo] out. Monte Carlo is going to be a bit of a tune-up tournament.