Paul, Alcaraz’s rival today in Vienna: “It’s frustrating, you think how annoying it is, how difficult it is to win this type of match against him”

“I’m not sure but I think he is the player I have faced the most times,” the American said laughing. Tommy Paul in the last US Open, before facing each other for the ninth time in an official match. Today, Friday, not before 3 in the afternoon, there will be a tenth occasion, in the quarterfinals of the indoor Vienna.

One of the most appreciated players on the circuit takes it with good grace, who adapts well to all types of situations, including the continuous defeats against Carlos Alcaraz. “So many duels with him is a bit crazy. We have had good games, although also a very tough defeat, a beating, at Roland Garros. In the end playing against him and against Sinner is the great test for all of us,” he said.

He lost in New York again, 6-4, 6-3 and 6-4. On aggregate, 7-2 for Alcaraz, with a favorable series of 6-0. Paul has not been able to beat the Murcian since August 2023, when he had a favorable balance of 2-1.

Paul is exhausting his last chances of finishing in the world top-10, even of going to the ATP Finals if he strings together two huge results in Vienna and, next week, in Paris.

He trusts that he will learn from his confrontations with Alcaraz. As emphasized in New Yorkwhen he faces the Spaniard he thinks “‘what a pain (damn, in his language), how difficult it is to win this type of match against him’. It’s frustrating but, at the same time, you learn a lot.”

If it doesn’t work against Alcaraz, it can help him overcome more ‘earthly’ rivals. Paul, 29 years old and number 14, newly married this summer, recently made the quarterfinals in Shanghai and the semi-finals in Lyon.

The Spaniard, always with good words for Paul, continually warns that “our matches are difficult in any circumstance. They are always fun matches to watch.”

The best will be in the semifinals on Saturday, which would equal Alcaraz’s best result in Vienna, when he debuted in 2021. Paul has already surpassed his previous record, which was limited to the round of 16. The match is with the winner of the confrontation between the Russian Daniil Medvedev and the Russian Adrian Mannarino.