With a double in Madrid on Sunday, as in Barcelona two weeks earlier, Carlos Alcaraz, twenty years old for two days, is on the ideal launching pad to Roland-Garros (May 28-June 11), which he should approach in the skin of world No. 1.
The young Spanish phenomenon suffered for a long time Sunday night, for nearly two and a half hours, against the German Jan-Lennard Struff (65th), the first lucky loser to invite himself to the final of a Masters 1000, but he ended up winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
«Today, at times I had fun, but at others I suffered more than savored..., admits Alcaraz. But you have to go through that. And I think I had more fun than I suffered.»
The sound system of Madrid's "Caja magica" could not be more opportune, when she began to spit out "Don't stop me now", one of Queen's hits, just as "Carlitos" was exhibiting its new trophy.
At just twenty years old, it is a certainty, Alcaraz has no desire to slow down his infernal pace, he who became the youngest world No. 1 in history in the wake of his coronation at the US Open last September, his first Grand Slam, and who is close to becoming it again before Roland-Garros.
29 wins, 2 losses in less than three months
Back on Novak Djokovic's heels on Monday, he will only need to play one match at the Masters 1000 in Rome next week to be assured of re-establishing himself on the throne of world tennis at the end of the Italian tournament. He didn't play in Rome a year ago, when Djokovic won there.
«
I am an ambitious boy, and I will go to Rome, "confirmed Sunday evening Alcaraz, now ten trophies to his name.
Meanwhile, the protégé of Juan Carlos Ferrero has already offered himself his fourth title, and the second in Masters 1000, of a season he launched late in mid-February after a muscle injury deprived him of the Australian Open.
In less than three months, he has five finals in six tournaments, won, before Madrid, Buenos Aires, Indian Wells and Barcelona, and collected 29 wins for only 2 losses.
Above all, his record on ochre is eloquent: the Murcian has accumulated 19 wins in 20 matches in 2023. On the European clay, he is even undefeated: from Barcelona to Madrid, he has just scored eleven successes. His only setback on the surface dates back to the end of February, in the final in Rio, against Britain's Cameron Norrie.
It is impossible, under these conditions, not to make him a favorite for Roland-Garros.
Offensive solution
Nevertheless, Struff has jostled Alcaraz like no one since the beginning of the European season on ochre, with an ultra-offensive tactic: serve-volley galore behind his first powerful ball - regularly above 215 km/h, and even 220 km/h - and maximum aggressiveness on the return.
When the German hit two double faults in his first service game and was broken at the start, it was thought that the match would not drag on. This was not the case.
Under pressure as rarely, Alcaraz was destabilized; we saw him, hands on hips, wondering how he could go about it well against the audacity and success of Struff after failing to convert five break balls that would have allowed him to get back into the second set, at 3 games to 1. But his strength was not to lose the pedals and not to give in to frustration, one more proof of his extraordinary maturity.
«
There was a moment when the negative won me a little... The only thing I changed was being positive at the beginning of the third set," he said.
Will Struff's strategy give ideas to others?
In Rome, Alcaraz and Djokovic must, barring twists and turns, find themselves playing the same tournament for the first time in 2023.
At 33, Struff leaves the Spanish capital certain to climb to the best ranking of his career on Monday, at 28th place.