Carlos Alcaraz is looking forward to competing in the 2024 Laver Cup for the first time in his young career. The Spanish champion has already arrived in Berlin and started practicing with his teammates from Team Europe. The former number 1 of the world loves this type of events, in which he can show off his spectacular tennis and rich in magic shots.
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Last month was half-happy for the four-time Grand Slam champion, who struggled to express himself 100% after losing the final of the Paris Olympics to Serbian legendNovak Djokovic. The 21-year-old from Murcia played very well in that final, but he had to surrender to a deluxe version of the Serbian legend that made the difference especially in the tiebreaks.
The current number 3 in the world burst into tears after that match and appeared very nervous at the following tournament in Cincinnati, where he broke a racket during the game lost to Gael Monfils. Carlitos didnt even shine at the US Open, where he was eliminated in the second round proving to be very far from the top of form.
Carlitos is ready
The week at the Davis Cup in Valencia has done him good to get back on track, as well as helping his Spain to make it to the Davis Cup Finals after last years disappointment. Alcaraz wants to avoid repeating the decline of last year, when he did not win a title after the extraordinary feat at the Wimbledon Championships.
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The Spanish ace will be the main opponent for Team World and its captain. John McEnroe is the captain of the World team on the court from tomorrow in the Laver Cup which takes place in Berlin. In a long interview published on the events website, which opposes his team to Team Europe led by Bjorn Borg, McEnroe spoke about Carlos Alcaraz, the 2024 event and the fact that it is the last year he is the captain of the squad. From next year, in fact, Andre Agassi will be leading the team.
"It would be great to go out and do great - said McEnroe. When you try to bring a group together for a short time, you have kids who will drive a little more, kids who want to stay behind and some like getting more advice, some like giving more advice: its a great learning experience. I think we always had a good team spirit". And theres a joke for Carlos Alcaraz: "I love Carlos - says McEnroe - but I have to admit that I hope he plays very badly this weekend. He is the greatest breath of fresh air we have had in this sport in the last ten years".
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"I believe in the Laver Cup event - continued the seven-time Slam champion - which added a little energy to the tour, I think the players love it, its very competitive. Feel the excitement sitting on the bench at the Laver Cup and I will miss it but Andr will do a great job, he is smart, charismatic and a legend of the game. The players will love it too," McEnroe concluded, "and it will be fun to watch from a distance in the coming years".
Alcaraz on Rafa Nadal
The former world number 1 was hoping to play again with his illustrious compatriot Rafael Nadal, with whom he shared the field during the Paris Olympics. The 22-time Grand Slam champion was supposed to be in Berlin, but he decided to give up because of a condition that is still not ideal.
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Before the start of the event, Carlos opened up on Rafas current status: "I'm going to miss Rafa a lot here at the Laver, as he withdrew at the last minute, but well, I hope to see him soon and hopefully he'll be better soon so we can continue to experience his tennis.It would have been super special.
When they announced the team and I saw that Rafa was coming, for me, it was a tremendous thrill to be able to share the locker room once again. It would have been a unique experience. I wish him a quick return to the courts and hope we can coincide in a tournament. Hopefully, I'll be in good physical shape to go to the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, something that excites me, and hopefully, Rafa could be there.
Alcaraz and Nadal dreamed of winning a medal together at the Paris Olympics, but their run came to a halt in the quarterfinals against Americans Ram and Krajicek. The two Spanish champions played a good tournament, but the greater experience of their opponents in doubles made the difference.
