De Miñaur and the weapon that surprised him from Alcaraz: "If he plays at that level with the parallel backhand.."

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Alex de Miñaur left the Inalpi Arena with mixed feelings. On one hand, he knew he had just faced a fantastic version of Carlos Alcaraz, who played one of his best historical matches with impressive backhand shots. On the other hand, he was aware of missing a small opportunity in the first set tiebreak, where he had a 5-4 lead and two serves to take the lead.

These mixed emotions were evident in his press conference after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in his debut at the ATP Finals 2025. It wasn't necessarily a bad game from Alex de Miñaur: he showed mental strength to recover from a slow start, withstand his opponent's exuberant play at times, and only fell behind on the scoreboard due to Carlos's merits. Nevertheless, it was another loss (he hasn't beaten Carlos in his career yet), especially painful considering the challenging position it left him in the standings.

De Miñaur highlighted Alcaraz's backhand as his key weapon and particularly lamented the missed opportunity in the first-set tiebreak

- Feelings after a tough defeat against a great Alcaraz

"A very challenging match against a very good rival. I felt I had some chances in the first set. Today he came onto the court playing at a very high level, making it very difficult for me to keep up with his pace at times."

- Delve into and reflect on how to face a match against someone you haven't beaten yet: what should be done to achieve it?

"From a realistic standpoint, a bit of what I did today. I know that at times Carlos will be unbeatable. There are also moments where if you stay in it, if you endure, you'll earn a couple of chances here and there... and you have to seize them. That's what the first set was about. I was 4-1 and 0-40 down without doing much wrong. I managed to keep my head down, keep fighting, and find a way to progress. Suddenly, there's a game. I was 5-3, 5-4 up in the tiebreak, with two first serves... those are opportunities and moments you must seize against the best in the world. Today I didn't seize that opportunity and the match became very difficult."

- The frustration of not being able to convert the few opportunities someone like Carlos gives you

"The frustration comes when you leave the court and talk to your team about how those points were played and how you could have done things better. There were moments when he did extraordinary things, especially when trailing. The only thing I can reproach myself for is playing with two second serves at 5-4. That's the big difference. If I play with first serves, suddenly I'm dictating and in control of the point, and at that moment, I felt I was doing things right."

"I tried not to let that missed opportunity affect me because I've faced him many times and I'm aware that there can be opportunities, that there are moments when his level drops. But in the second set, in my opinion, he was flawless, without errors, and made it very difficult for me to stay afloat."

- After a match like this, how far do you think you are from someone like Alcaraz?

"Looking at this match and the series of matches in which we have faced each other, I feel I am quite close to having my moment. Today, I believe he reached one of his highest levels he has ever shown against me. When he hits his backhand down the line as he did today, it's a sign he's playing with a lot of confidence. Normally, that's the side where I feel most comfortable when in an exchange with him, but today he was incredible there."

"He broke my serve a couple of times with winners on his backhand down the line. When he plays like that, it's quite challenging to weather the storm. If he plays at that level there, then he has many other weapons and can hit a winner from anywhere on the court. I look at the first set and feel I had it in my hands. If I had won it, I don't think he would have played at that level in the second, so... I can only turn the page and prepare for the next match."

- Court speed this year

"I feel it's slightly faster than last year. Last year, it felt slower. If I compare it to Paris, I still think it's a bit slower than Paris's."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, De Miñaur y el arma que le sorprendió de Alcaraz: "Si juega a ese nivel con el revés paralelo..."