"It is a unique experience": Carlos Alcaraz opens up about experience of playing in team competition

Spain’s young tennis star Carlos Alcaraz has opened up about feeling pressure while playing in a team competition. The 21-year-old is already regarded as one of the best players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category, along with Italy’s Jannik Sinner and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic.

Alcaraz is participating in the Laver Cup, where he is representing Team Europe. The two-team competition is being played in Berlin, Germany, and some of the top players in men’s tennis are competing to secure the ultimate prize.

The Spaniard produced a stunning performance on Saturday, where he defeated America’s Ben Shelton in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-4. The current world number three, who is going through an impressive season where he has already won two out of the four Grand Slams,           spoke to the media after securing a much-needed win for his team where he explained how difficult it has been to play in a team competition where the pressure is different.  

“In the other tournaments, obviously I’m playing for myself,” he said. “And when you’re playing as a team, you’re playing for them as well. So you feel a little bit more pressure, because you feel like you have to win for them. But at the same time, I feel more energy, having them supporting me from behind. In the tough moments during the match, I see them. They’re supporting, saying ‘come on’ all the time and it relaxes me during the match. It is a unique experience for me that I really enjoy.”

Team Europe will start the final day of the competition as an underdog, as they have to win three out of four matches to lift the title for the fifth time. On the other hand, Team World will start as a favourite as they need to win two out of four to clinch the title for the third consecutive year.