Alcaraz: "The number one is not on my mind right now"

Pedro de Pablos | 8 Apr 2026 | 20.46

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Carlos Alcaraz has started the clay court season off to a great start, with a significant victory against Sebastián Báez at the Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo 2026. However, in an interview with the Tennis Channel, he reiterated that he is not worried about being number one, as he will eventually lose it to the advantage of Jannik Sinner.

Carlos Alcaraz is aware that the Italian tennis player does not have points to defend until the Masters 1000 in Rome, but he has taken it in stride, stating that what concerns him is playing well and achieving good results. Additionally, he revealed that he will soon have a new catamaran, to which he has invited Tommy Paul to teach him how to fish. Tomorrow, the world number one will face Tomás Martín Etcheverry for a spot in the round of 16, aiming to maintain the level he showed yesterday.

"Being number one is not on my mind, because, as I said yesterday, sooner or later I will lose it. Jannik has some tournaments where he doesn't have any points to defend at all, and I have a lot to defend, so I will try to focus on my tennis. I think that's my focus right now, trying to be better every day, after every practice, every match, and the results come afterwards. If I do the right things, the results will come," he stated.

Alcaraz reveals why he excels on clay courts

"It's a pleasure to be back in this beautiful tournament. The first match of each tournament is never easy. I would say it's even harder when you change surfaces. Yes, it's been almost a year since the last match I played on clay. Against Báez, I played at a really high level, and as I said, I was surprised a bit because I hit the ball very well," he acknowledged. Clay courts suit his game perfectly, and as he says, he missed enjoying this surface again.

In reality, Alcaraz's style is suitable for any surface due to its completeness, but on clay, he knows he has a few extra seconds to choose his shots better. "On clay, you have more time to think, more time to set up the point, to set up the winner. We might see on clay that almost all players, or many players, change the way they return, play a bit deeper, have more time for the ball to reach you in some way."

Alcaraz talks about his new acquisition

Regarding his stumble in the second round of the Miami Masters 1000 against Sebastian Korda, the Spanish tennis player also spoke about the days after and how those "mini vacations" went. "I only had about 5 or 6 days of rest. I didn't do anything, just stayed a couple of days in Miami because I couldn't return the following days. I stayed there for a few days, and then a couple more days at home, and then I tried to do some exercise again to be in good shape for the clay, as the points are tougher, so you have to be even better physically. But yes, it was a week practicing on clay, starting with quite easy things, and just recharging the batteries. We're in Europe, close to home, so it's great," he said.

The surprise came from Alcaraz when he revealed his new acquisition, a catamaran that already has several visit proposals. "I'm going to have a catamaran in a year or a year and a half, something that excites me a lot. I'm a big fan, I would say that when you're on a boat, at sea, everything is peaceful, I disconnect from everything, so I'm very excited about it. I saw Tommy Paul say he wants to come, so I better invite him, but I'll tell him to take me fishing as well, so it'll be a 50/50 deal," he concluded.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz: "El número uno no está en mi mente ahora mismo"

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