Alcaraz arrives unleashed in Shanghai: "I want to win this tournament and the ones that follow"

Carlos Alcaraz has had quite a busy last few hours. The player from Murcia arrived at the Masters 1000 in Shanghai, completed his first practice session, and even had time to participate in Media Day, where he shared his joy after winning in Tokyo and expressed his ambition to continue this good momentum here.

The feeling is that everything has happened too quickly. It's curious because the five months of injury felt extremely long, but Carlos Alcaraz only needed two tournaments to lift a title again: quarter-finals at the US Open and champion in Tokyo. The next stop is pointed at Shanghai, an event he has only contested twice, with the quarter-finals in 2024 being his best result. From his words in the press conference, it seems that the Spaniard arrives at this edition eager to go further than ever.

Alcaraz returns to Shanghai two years later

"It's exciting; it's been two years since the last time I came here to Shanghai. I loved the warm welcome I received during today's practice; it was a pleasure to see them again, and I am excited to be back at the Shanghai Masters. The fans are very passionate about any sport, which I think is fantastic for the community. I love coming here because they appreciate good tennis and the matches; every time you walk around here, you can tell that people are really engaged. It's a great part of the season, and I love being here. Sometimes as players, we arrive a little tired mentally and physically, but thanks to the people and the fans, we have an extra energy in matches and practices."

Back in Shanghai 🤩 @carlosalcaraz #RolexShanghaiMasters https://t.co/1tR4rSETWH

— Rolex Shanghai Masters (@SH_RolexMasters) October 8, 2026

Spain and the dream of winning the Davis Cup

"Tennis can be lonely sometimes because it's an individual sport, and most of the time you play on your own. Having the Davis Cup to represent your country is something fantastic; I am very grateful to be Spanish, and representing my flag is one of the best things I can do right now. As I have said many times, the Davis Cup is always one of my main and most important goals each season. I am excited to go and play, but right now I just want to perform my best in this tournament to be well-prepared mentally and physically and arrive in good shape for that competition."

Alcaraz calls for patience with Holger Rune

"Obviously, it's a slow process. The injury he had is really complicated because movement in tennis is almost everything. His style depends on moving well around the court and covering as much space as possible. We know he might lose some matches now, but personally, I am very happy to see him back on the court. We trained together when he came to Murcia for a week, and I saw him play well. Now it’s just about getting into more matches and regaining competition rhythm, which is really important. I wish him all the best; I am happy he is back on the circuit. He needs to be patient because it will be a slow process, but he will get to where he wants to be."

Being mentally fresh

"I wouldn't say my body is fresher because, after being away from competition for so long, when you return to the circuit and start playing physically demanding matches, your body isn't used to it, and small issues can arise. It's very normal, but I feel fresh mentally, which is the most important thing for me. I am ready to tackle the challenge of this tournament. If we look back a couple of years, this part of the season has probably never been the best for me, so I want to be in good shape because I really want to win tournaments, this one and the ones I have in a few months. I think it's an extra boost for what’s left of the season."

Aura 💯 @carlosalcaraz #RolexShanghaiMasters https://t.co/RsTslGQgFT

— Rolex Shanghai Masters (@SH_RolexMasters) October 8, 2026

Alcaraz compares tennis to a roller coaster

"Tennis is, so to speak, like a roller coaster. A player can start the year really well, winning two, three, or four tournaments, and then everything can change. Another player can dominate during the clay season or even on grass and win all the tournaments, but then everything can change in the United States. A year can be very long; we play many matches and many tournaments, and we have a lot of time to adapt our game in the best way possible for the rest of the season. You have to be prepared and focused every tournament and every week of practice to get better because other players might be training harder to catch up with you. That's the beauty of tennis: many players fighting for the same thing, and the rankings constantly moving."

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz llega desatado a Shanghái: "Quiero ganar este torneo y los que vienen"