Alcaraz on Sinner's withdrawal: "I noticed he was making a lot more mistakes than usual"

Carlos Alcaraz could not celebrate as he would have liked the ATP Cincinnati title, nor did it please him to be proclaimed the champion due to the withdrawal of Jannik Sinner, who cited health issues when the score was 5-0 in favor of the Murcian player. However, aside from what happened with the Italian, the Spaniard arrives in the best possible way to the US Open, with a title under his belt, showcasing a very serious tennis and the possibility of regaining the number one ranking if he manages to lift his second trophy in New York.

Nevertheless, the El Palmar native prefers to take it step by step. First, to enjoy this bittersweet victory and then to travel to the city of skyscrapers to play mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu, and subsequently, to prepare in the best possible way for the last Grand Slam of the year. Before bidding farewell to Cincinnati, he made a stop at the Tennis Channel studio, where he talked about Sinner's tough withdrawal and the moment he realized that things were not going well for the Italian, showing great motivation and eagerness to reach Flushing Meadows.

Sad about Sinner's withdrawal

"I feel really bad for Jannik, I can't even imagine how he must be feeling right now. It's not easy to retire in a final. I know him very well, I've faced him many times over the last two years, I know his game and his style and how he can play. But honestly, I didn't realize he was struggling at the beginning of the match, until around the third game when I noticed he was making way more errors than usual and was being much more aggressive than normal, then I realized something was going on."

Trying to focus on his own game

"I was just trying to focus on myself and be there. I started the match playing very well and that was my goal, to keep playing like that. I was happy with how I was playing, but sad that I could only play five games against Sinner. So I wish him all the best and hope he recovers as soon as possible for the US Open."

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The differences in preparing for a final

"It's not different, I try to do the same routines as in any other match, I don't want to treat the final differently, I just accept it and think of it as another match. But in the end, you feel it's a special day, even more so if you're playing against Jannik. You just feel a bit more nervous the night before, but you always try to approach the matches in the same way."

The good and the bad of these fast hard courts

"Playing on these fast courts, I feel my tennis is somewhat different. You can play more aggressively than usual and sometimes I appreciate that because it's easier to come to the net or finish the point, but at the same time, when you make more mistakes than you're used to, you get more frustrated. So sometimes you have to accept the conditions and keep playing and trust that things will get better."

The importance of having his team close by

"We've only played bowling here in Cincinnati, I had never done it in another tournament. I just try to have fun with my team off the court and enjoy ourselves before the matches. This helps me then be able to enjoy myself on the tennis court."

Grateful for everything experienced in recent months

"I feel very good, I have a lot of confidence right now, I feel I'm doing things right at every moment, both on and off the court, I'm just accepting how things come and everything that's happening to me. From there, I try to learn and become a better person and a better tennis player. I've been through many experiences in the last three or four months that I'm very proud of, and I'm going to try to do the same things in New York. I'm going to try to prepare as well as I did in Cincinnati to continue enjoying on the court like I have been in the last months," concluded a Carlos Alcaraz who arrives at the US Open sharpened and eager to claim his second title in New York and the hope of returning to the tennis throne.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz, sobre la retirada de Sinner: "Noté que estaba fallando mucho más de lo normal"