Carlos Alcaraz, despite being a four-time Grand Slam champion, has little expectations as he opened his campaign at the Paris Masters on Oct 29 with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Chilean Nicolas Jarry.
After receiving a first-round bye, the 21-year-old took a 3-0 lead in his round-of-32 match but was reined back by Jarry, before eventually claiming the first set.
However, the Spaniard was in commanding form in the second set, dropping only one game as he raced to victory with 13 winners and only six unforced errors.
Following his win, Alcaraz admitted that he was not hoping for much in the Paris Masters.
"It's been two years since I have won a match (at this event)... so every time that I keep going is a gift for me," the world No. 2 said.
"I'm just really happy to get through the opening set, it was really important for me to come into the second with more confidence. I (need) time to get used to the speed of the court.
"It's always hard to compare your tennis year to year, but I am in a much better state mentally.
This story is from the October 31, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the October 31, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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