Carlos Alcaraz featured in his maiden title clash at the ATP Finals on Sunday, but fell to a 6(4)-7(7), 5-7 defeat to Jannik Sinner. During the first set, the Spaniard had to call for a physio due to a hamstring issue. The physio returned to treat him multiple times during the fixture, and also bandaged his right thigh.
After the match, Alcaraz was asked about his injury, and how it impacted him. He didn’t blame it for his defeat, pointing out that it didn’t affect him.
“I felt something in my hamstring after trying to catch one serve. I could say it didn’t affect me too much, to be honest, because I could run well, I could go to the balls well. Obviously, the thoughts about how is going to be if I do crazy things that I’m used to doing, how it’s going to be, those thoughts were in my mind sometimes. But I could play well,” he said.
“Don’t get me wrong, because I’m not going to say I could play better or I could do something better if my hamstring were well. I could play a really good tennis with it. The loss is because he deserved it.”
He also revealed that he would fly to Bologna for the Davis Cup finals, despie his injury. “Well, I didn’t change the plan because of the injury. I changed it because I felt that I had to do something else. I’m trying to be as aggressive as I can on court every match, but especially I think even more against Jannik. Every time that I can, just trying to go forward. It works, to be honest, because I was a break up. I was serving well. That game, I think, was 3-2. I don’t remember actually, but in the middle of the second set, I was up in the game. Few mistakes that I didn’t have to make, to be honest,” he said.
“In general, I think it was a great plan that I did today. That’s why I’m really happy with the level and the performance that I did today, because I think I didn’t do too many things wrong, which is great. But, the Davis Cup, I’m heading off to Bologna tomorrow,” he added.
Alcaraz finishes his season as the Year-End No. 1. He is set to complete at the Davis Cup finals next week.
