Carlos Alcaraz reached the quarter-final stage at the 2024 Madrid Open and was satisfied with his performance.
Despite being a favorite, especially after winning the ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid for two consecutive years, Alcaraz did not clinch the title this time.
However, considering that this was his first clay event of the European clay season following injury-related absences from the Monte-Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open, reaching the quarter-finals was a commendable achievement.
Alcaraz faced challenges due to a forearm injury during his match against Andrey Rublev, affecting his performance and leading to his loss.
Despite the early exit, Alcaraz remains positive and sees his participation in the tournament as a step forward, especially considering the doubts about his ability to compete just before the event.
“Look, a day before starting I didn’t know if I could compete and I went almost a week without hitting a forehand. My first training session hitting forehands was against [Daniil] Medvedev 24 hours after starting my participation. It is clear that, once I hit the court, I won’t, I don’t like losing at all, but I consider this week very positive because I have been able to play four games at a high intensity.”
“Neither my team nor I would have said that I could reach the quarterfinals before the tournament, so now it is time to continue working to regain normality as soon as possible on my forehand.”
Alcaraz is still undecided about his participation in the Italian Open, considering his ongoing injury concerns, which might lead to his absence until Roland Garros.
