World number two Carlos Alcaraz said being part of a team at the Davis Cup as well as Laver Cup energized and motivates him going into Asia swing, as he gears up to add the Shanghai Masters title to his victory at the China Open.
Alcaraz, who is this year’s French and Wimbledon Open champion as well as the Paris Olympic silver medalist, was not at his best on all Cylinders during the North American swing where he lost in the second round in both Cincinnati and U.S Open.
After his loss in Flushing Meadows, Alcaraz assisted Spain to seal their spot in the Davis Cup’s quarter-finals and healthy inspired Team Europe to victory in the Laver Cup, before beating rival Jannik Sinner to win China Open.
“I had a really good month of practice after the American swing. The Davis Cup and the Laver Cup helped me a lot to get the energy back, to get motivated again,” Alcaraz told reporters on Thursday.
“I love playing teams competition, the Davis Cup with the players, with their team, with the Spanish federation as well, all the people who are around just to help me to be better, and feeling great off the court as well, that is really important.
“The Laver Cup, same thing. Those competitions helped me a lot to get the joy back on the court, and being focused on what’s next. I came here to Asia with a lot of energy, enjoying every single second that I step on the court, and that for me it’s really important.”
Alcaraz took three hours, 21 minutes to beat Sinner 6-7(6) 6-4 7-6(3) in the final in Beijing on Wednesday and faced a tight turnaround to compete in his first match in Shanghai on Friday, where he takes on Shang Juncheng.
“The tennis schedule is so tight, but we have to get used to it, or I guess we have to. Yesterday we finished 8:30, 9:00, a three-hour match, and then I had no time to do anything else,” Alcaraz said.
Ejiofor Ezeifeoma/ Lagos
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