Carlos Alcaraz, after his defeat at the US Open: “We leave healthy and with a smile”

It’s four in the morning in New York. Carlos Alcaraz attends to the media in a crowded hallway. Quick questions in English and Spanish, minutes after the champion fell to the American Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6 and 7-6 (10-7) in 4h.28′.

The match that ends later in the US Open, a few minutes after three thirty, breaking the record of the 2022 quarterfinals that Carlos Alcaraz won against Jannik Sinner, with closing at 02:50, although longer, over five hours.

Alcaraz will not be able to repeat the crown in Flushing Meadows, something that no one has done since the Swiss Roger Federer defended crown thanks to his five titles in a row, from 2004 to 2008.

However, the Murcian valued his performance in the first tournament after four and a half months without competing more than the defeat itself. “It is not pleasant to lose because we have been close, but we leave happy, with a smile,” he says in both languages. Carlos Alcaraz23 years old and world No. 3.

Remember that “we want to keep the positives. We have played several games at a high level of play. And above all we left healthy,” he said. Not so much because of the controlled wrist, but because of the fear of some muscle scare.

“Something more could have been done, we are always demanding, but we have pushed to the limit a player who has been playing at a very high pace and level throughout the season, especially on this tour,” he said.

Look what’s coming. “Obviously we want to win and we want to continue here in the tournament, but as I already said, the most important thing is to leave the tournament with games played at a high pace. Already eager to continue improving and return to the courts, thinking about the remainder of the season, with important tournaments.”

I miss more physicality. “I was very tired, although I managed to recover for the last sets. But Shelton He is physically a beast. We have given a show, that’s what we train for. The serve helped him, it is an advantage. At night with the humidity it is more difficult to move the ball and the serve gave him a lot,” analyzed the Murcian.

He has competed again, which is a lot for him. “We missed battles like this. There has been a little of everything, now we have to continue training to continue playing tournaments,” he concluded.