3:33 in the morning. Then nothing.
Five months without a competitive match. A wrist in pieces. And the fear, too, of not being ready for the US Open. Carlos Alcaraz doesn’t hide from that stretch: “I was hurting a lot, with the pain, not knowing if I could get back in time.” Then he adds, almost like he’s still processing it: “It was painful, but I also enjoyed it.”
Back on court in New York. Quarter-finals. Ben Shelton across the net. Nearly five hours of battle. A match that finished at 3:33 in the morning, the latest ever in US Open history. He lost in the end. But Alcaraz stays upbeat about it, almost light, given what he’s just come through.
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London, another battle
Now it’s on to the Laver Cup, with Team Europe. The Spaniard arrives in good shape physically, having shaken off that rough patch. One thing still bothers him: the scheduling. Matches stretching deep into the night, stands emptying out before the finish. He wants earlier start times, and a full crowd from first point to last.
On the practice court, he’s got a useful training partner in Alexander Zverev. Alcaraz doesn’t hold back the praise. “He’s probably the best player in the world right now,” he says, no hesitation in his voice. Team Europe wants the trophy back after losing it to Team World last year. Alcaraz, 23, is treating this one as personal.
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