World No. 5 Carlos Alcaraz admits a lot has changed for him over the last 12 months as he is happy that his hard work is paying off. Alcaraz, 19, lifted his first ATP title exactly 12 months ago in Umag. Now, Alcaraz is a five-time ATP champion, having won four more titles this year.
Alcaraz has won two Masters titles this season and this week he broke into the top-5 for the first time in his career. This week, Alcaraz returned to Umag – the place where it all basically started for him. “Many things have changed (in the last 12 months).
Personally and professionally, in one year, I was able to experience many good moments, but I work hard to achieve these goals, and I continue to grow,” Alcaraz told the ATP website
Alcaraz off to a strong start to his Umag title defence
Alcaraz, the top-seeded player in the Umag main draw, had a first round bye at the tournament.
In the Umag last-16, Alcaraz clinched a 6-2 6-3 win over Norbert Gombos. Even though Alcaraz won in straight sets and lost a total of five games, he insisted Gombos wasn’t an easy opponent. “It was a really tough match,” Alcaraz reflected.
“It wasn’t as easy as the result seems. Norbert played a really good game and the first round of every tournament is never easy, so I had to get used to the conditons. It was tough for me, but at the end I found a way to play better and get the win”.
Last week, Alcaraz fell just short of winning his fifth title of the year in Hamburg. In the Hamburg final, Alcaraz suffered a surprise loss to Lorenzo Musetti. Now, Alcaraz is hoping to defend his Umag title and clinch his first title since the Madrid Masters. After Umag, Alcarza will switch his focus onto the North American hard court swing.
