Carlitos sinks. The Spanish tennis player arrived at ATP Finals in third place and stumbling once again over the same rock: the final part of the season. The Spaniard collapsed again in the second half of the year, despite the good start it had registered. His first rival in the Master’s Cup, Casper Ruudhad seen the canvas four times against the Spaniard, the same times they had faced each other. But the Norwegian was not willing to continue extending these data. In the first set he did not give rise to Carlitos’ protest and closed it with a 1-6. In the second, it seemed that the one from Murcia was going to overcome the duel, but nothing could be further from the truth. With 5-2 on the scoreboard, Ruud came up big and came back in the duel to take the game 0-2.
The Spanish tennis player arrived at the final event of the season, the one that puts the final touch on the circuit, with the need to overcome. In Paris, he arrived with the intention of closing the gap to help him reach the top of the ranking, but an old acquaintance stopped him again: Ugo Humbert. There were his hopes of winning the crown of best player. There was also his number two position, which he gave up to Alexander Zverev after he won the tournament. Carlos Alcaraz landed in Italy to try to make a comeback in the final stretch of the season and, at least, close the year with a second place.
The truth is that the situation was not foreign to Carlitos. He’s already lived it before. In the final stretch of the season, the Spaniard usually collapses no matter how well he faced the first half. This year he did it. Just before leaving for Paris and competing in the Olympic Games in both singles and doubles, he had already won his first Roland Garros and his second Wimbledon. A sweet season was ahead for the Spaniard, but the second half of the year has not been as expected. Alcaraz has been deflating in each tournament he competed in to the point of ending up losing second place. With these bittersweet feelings he arrived at the Masters Cup.
The first test upon arrival in Turin seemed easier than it was actually going to be. In front, Casper Ruud, a Norwegian tennis player whom Carlitos had beaten in all his duels, four in total. It was presented as a good opportunity to gain confidence, familiar terrain, where he had already seen victory. What he didn’t count on was his other great enemy: the track. The hard surface and indoor He still resists him. He has not been able to win any competition on a stage with these characteristics.
Carlitos started dominating the court and quickly stood on the Norwegian’s serve with 40-15 in his favor. History seemed like it would repeat itself. But rushing is not good and before he knew it, Ruud had already recovered points and had taken his serve. Alcaraz did the same and closed his, leaving his rival almost blank. And, from that moment on, the Norwegian swallowed the Spanish. After two losses of service in a row, Alcaraz finally gave up and lost the set 1-6. He needed to get over it. He needed to find the key that would allow him to placate his rival and overcome the court.
The second set was the decisive one, Alcaraz He had time to come back, but it had to be in that second round. Quickly, he faced the duel with a 5-2 score. Going up the net and high balls became his best allies in trying to find cracks in the Norwegian’s game. But the illusion did not last long. The Spaniard collapsed again to end up losing game after game until Ruud went up 5-5. And there, with Carlitos where he wanted, he had no mercy and closed the game in two more games. 0-2 on the scoreboard (1-6 and 5-7) and Alcaraz’s hopes of continuing to add points to regain that number two position.
