Carlos Alcaraz has managed to get the victory in a spectacular duel in the round of 16 of the
Madrid Open 2024 against Jan-Lennard Struff. The Spaniard, after more than three hours on court, defeated the German by a score of 3-6, 7-6, 6-7.
In the interview on the Caja Mágica court after the match, Alcaraz explained how important it is for him to win a match of this caliber after not being able to compete in Monte Carlo or Barcelona due to his forearm discomfort: "It was incredible to play a match like this after a month without competing. The tension from the moment I entered the court until the last point has not gone away".
In the third set, Carlitos was 3-5 up and serving. At that moment, the Spaniard had up to four match balls, but could not materialize any of them. On how he managed to recover after that, he explained: "This is tennis, you have to deal with things like that. I'm very happy to have managed to manage my emotions well and to finish with a good level."
Regarding his forearm injury, there were moments in the match when Carlos Alcaraz was seen stretching, which raised alarms, but as he says, it was nothing out of the ordinary: "I try not to think about it. There was a panic attack due to some stretching, but I finished well".
Finally, Alcaraz concluded his statements by talking about how important it is for him to compete in the Madrid Open in front of the Spanish public: "When I finish the tournament, I'm already thinking about playing it next year. All my family can come here. Receiving their affection is super special. This court and the affection of the public are wonderful for me".