Alcaraz, without explanation for the debacle in Paris: "I am very disappointed with my level"

Carlos Navarro | 28 Oct 2025 | 22.11

Alcaraz, unable to find an explanation for the defeat in Paris. Source: Getty

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Inexplicable. Only that can define Carlos Alcaraz's defeat in his debut at the Masters 1000 in Paris, in a match where he never found the right rhythm with the ball and ended up drowning in the 54 unforced errors that condemned him. Cameron Norrie put on a great performance, no doubt, but Alcaraz’s body language said it all: dejected, frustrated, without solutions, and desperate facing one of those bad days at the office that luckily are becoming less frequent in his career.

This happened at a tournament, the ATP Rolex Paris Masters 2025, which is starting to become a sort of kryptonite in Carlos Alcaraz’s career. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to turn around past defeats: new location, slower surface than before, and above all, no physical or mental fatigue after managing the loads immaculately this year. How to explain then a defeat reminiscent of past seasons? The truth is that Carlitos himself couldn’t pinpoint a specific reason in a press conference where he was truly self-critical about his tennis.

Alcaraz, unable to find an explanation for the debacle in Paris, made it clear that he arrived well prepared for this tournament

- Keys to a defeat that is hard to explain

"I didn't feel good today. I made a lot of mistakes. I played without feeling, never connecting with the ball. Also, I think Norrie played at a very high level too; it was a very solid match on his part. I don't know how to explain it, honestly. I had plenty of practices here and was feeling great, moving well on the court, hitting the ball phenomenally. My ideas were clear, my goals were evident.

However, even in the first set, despite winning it, I felt I could do much more than what I was doing. I tried to be better in the second set, but the result was diametrically opposite: I felt even worse. I also feel I must give Cam all the credit in the world because I feel he never let me get back into the match. I had a couple of break points in the third set, which could have been very helpful, and it's not that I didn't take advantage due to easy mistakes. I'm very disappointed with my level today, that's the way it goes."

- Next plan for the end of the season, with ATP Finals and Davis Cup as major goals

"I will try to prepare in the best possible way. First, I have Turin, then the Davis Cup; these are truly important upcoming tournaments. Right now, I just want to go back home, analyze what I need to do. Of course, I will train and prepare, trying to ensure that something like this does not happen again."

- How do you explain your strange history with this tournament? Could it have to do with the lack of energy you may experience at the end of the year?

"I don't know. I arrived here feeling very good, with a lot of energy. I came here thinking I could achieve good results because I had been playing tennis at a very high level. This is the best year of my career in terms of end-of-season results. I have discussed it with other players, with my team; I feel very good. In other seasons, I felt exhausted, tired physically and mentally, but this year I felt great.

I skipped Shanghai. I've been home for quite a few days, luxuriating in relaxing, resting, and recharging my batteries, so I can't explain what happened here. It's a tournament where I find it very difficult to play well, but I'm convinced I'll figure it out and end up playing at a great level here, for sure."

- The last match where you couldn't feel the ball like today, almost unexplained

"I can't tell you. I've had several (smiles). One from the last seasons, I don't remember who I lost against last year, but I had some defeats where I didn't feel well at all. Perhaps Miami, but Miami was different; it was more a physical issue, not about how I hit the ball, but yes, not a bad choice. Today's match is one I won't watch again; I'll try to forget it. I showed a wrong game plan for such a slow court; it's one of the worst matches of the year. There are matches to learn from, but I won't draw any clear conclusions from this one."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz, sin explicación a la debacle en París: "Estoy muy decepcionado con mi nivel"

Carlos Alcaraz