Carlos Alcaraz struck the wall that Italian tennis is meant to represent once more. A few days later, against two Italian competitors—Lorenzo Musetti in Hamburg and Jannik Sinner in Umag. The rising Spanish star lost two final matches.
The 19-year-old from El Palmar, according to the former Roman champion Adriano Panatta, must learn to distinguish between when he should act as an anvil and when he should act as a hammer.
Adriano Panatta says, “A player in certain moments must be an anvil and in others a hammer. When you are anvil it takes humility. Nadal and Djokovic are two who know how to make an anvil. Maybe they lose, but they stay there until the storm passes.
Alcaraz must have the humility to stay there: you can’t be offended if someone plays better or if they get hit.”
Carlos Alcaraz Croatia Open final loss
Jannik Sinner, the second-seeded player, came back to defeat top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-1 in the Croatia Open final on Sunday. This is the sixth ATP title of Sinner’s career.
Sinner, who is ranked 10th, stopped fifth-ranked Alcaraz from successfully defending his first ATP championship. As he competed in his ninth final overall and in his first final of the year.
Alcaraz, who is 19 years old, won the first set tiebreaker, but Sinner went on to win.
Carlos Alcaraz’s physical coach, Alberto Lledo, discussed his player’s physical state in an interview with the EFE news agency after the player’s Sunday final defeat to Jannik Sinner in Umag.
Carlos Alcaraz’s trainer on his loss against Sinner
Alberto Lledo said: “I don’t think Carlos is missing the spark. I think the mental aspect made a difference in the final against Sinner. He played a great first set and started the second in the same way, but wasting six break points in a row hit him.
That game was the key to the match. It is true that he has played many games this year, but not many tournaments. Losing a final gives you experience, it’s something that is part of the learning process of a kid who is still 19 years old. We must not forget his age.”
Alcaraz, however, can be pleased with recent circuit efforts. The Spaniard has actually moved up to position four in the world rankings as a result of his two final appearances in Hamburg and Umag. He will try to maintain this position at least through the start of the US Open.
