Finding motivation in defeat: Carlos Alcaraz's post-match perspective

Spain’s young tennis star Carlos Alcaraz has stated that he is undeterred despite suffering a surprising loss in the Queen’s Championship. The 21-year-old, along with Italy's Jannik Sinner, is often regarded as one of the most highly-rated players currently playing men’s tennis in the singles category.

Alcaraz recently participated in the Queen’s Championship, where he suffered a shocking defeat in the round of 16 clash to Britain’s Jack Draper in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 6-3 on Thursday. Talking after the match, Alcaraz stated that he is not deterred by the result and is still looking to defend his crown at Wimbledon.

“Right now I’m hungry just to be better, to practise, and that’s all I have to do,” he said. “I’m really excited to start Wimbledon. Of course I really want to win every title that I [play for], and I think Wimbledon is even more special. So, as I said, I have time, and excited to start the first match on Centre Court. Of course it’s tough to deal with the losses, but I think it’s part of our lives. We have to [deal with it] as good as you can.”

The three-time Grand Slam winner defeated the former world number one Serbia’s legendary tennis star Novak Djokovic in a five-set thrilling contest with a score of 1–6, 7–6(8–6), 6–1, 3–6, 6–4 to win the Wimbledon title in 2023.

The result was a serious blow for Alcaraz, as it also impacted his rankings. The Spaniard ended up losing the second spot in the ATP rankings. After the result on Sunday, Djokovic is now world number two, only behind Italy’s Jannik Sinner.

The result was not only a serious blow for Alcaraz in his rankings but also a surprising one as he was coming into the competition after winning the French Open. He lifted the Roland Garros title after beating Germany’s Alexander Zverev in a five-set thriller with a score of 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.