“One of my main and most important goals”: Carlos Alcaraz sets his sights on Davis Cup glory

Carlos Alcaraz has arrived in Shanghai with clear ambitions after successfully defending his Japan Open title, but the Spaniard is already looking beyond the immediate tournament. His late-season schedule will take him through another Masters 1000, the ATP Finals and, potentially, a long-awaited Davis Cup campaign with Spain.

The timing is particularly important for Alcaraz, who missed almost five months earlier this year because of a wrist injury. Rather than leaving him worn down at the end of the season, the absence means he feels mentally fresh as he enters the final stretch, even while acknowledging that his body is still adjusting to the demands of competition again.

The 23-year-old has already secured his place at the ATP Finals for a fifth consecutive year, while Spain have also qualified for the Davis Cup Final 8 in Bologna. Alcaraz did not play in either of Spain's Davis Cup qualifying ties this year, but he remains available for the season-ending finals after recovering from his injury.

Before either of those events, however, Alcaraz has another major target in Shanghai. The second seed is making his third appearance at the tournament and has never gone beyond the quarterfinals. After winning Tokyo, he now wants to change that record and make the most of a part of the calendar he has traditionally found difficult.

The Shanghai Masters runs from October 7-18, with Alcaraz beginning his campaign in the second round against Juan Manuel Cerundolo on Saturday, October 10. The Argentine defeated Colombian qualifier Nicolas Mejia in the opening round and will meet Alcaraz for the second time, five years after their only previous encounter at the 2021 Next Gen ATP Finals.

Alcaraz has reached the quarterfinals in Shanghai only once, in 2024, and he did not play the event last year. His latest appearance therefore comes with both momentum and opportunity after his Tokyo triumph, which marked his third title of 2026 and his first since returning from his wrist injury.

The Spaniard admitted that the Asian swing has not traditionally been his strongest period of the season, making the challenge particularly attractive.

“I’m feeling fresh mentally, which for me is the most important thing,” he said in press conference. “I’m ready to take the challenge of these tournaments because, if we look a couple of years back, this swing at this part of the season has never been my best one.”

“Right now, I just want to be in good shape for this tournament because I really want to win the tournaments,” the world No. 3 added. “This one and the tournaments that I have in a couple of months, at least one one day.”

Alcaraz has won eight Masters 1000 titles across six of the nine tournaments in the category. For now, the Canadian Open, Shanghai Masters and Paris Masters remain missing from his collection — with the latter two, in particular, being played during the final stretch of the season, when he has not always arrived in the best physical condition.

After Shanghai, Alcaraz is scheduled to play the Rolex Paris Masters from November 2-8. He will then head to Turin for the Nitto ATP Finals, which run from November 15-22. His qualification for the season finale was confirmed in September, guaranteeing his fifth straight appearance. He reached his first final there in 2025 before losing to Jannik Sinner.

The final destination of Alcaraz's 2026 schedule could carry an even greater personal significance. Spain will contest the Davis Cup Final 8 in Bologna from November 24-29, with Austria standing between the Spaniards and a semifinal place. The quarterfinal is scheduled for November 26, with the semifinals on November 27-28 and the final on November 29.

Spain earned its place by beating Chile 3-0 in Santiago in September. Alcaraz was not part of the team after his long wrist injury, with the schedule making a return to Davis Cup competition immediately after the US Open unrealistic. It was the second consecutive year he missed Spain's qualifying tie, having also withdrawn from the 2025 qualifier against Denmark after winning the US Open.

This time, however, Spain's captain David Ferrer has said Alcaraz has been available for the Final 8. That would give the Spaniard another opportunity to compete for a trophy he has repeatedly identified as one of the major remaining objectives of his career. Spain's team could look particularly strong with the presence of Rafael Jodar, the world No. 13 who recently made his Davis Cup debut against Chile, as well as young players such as Dani Merida and Martin Landaluce. It is an elite group that could have plenty to say in the Davis Cup over the next decade.

Alcaraz made his Davis Cup debut in 2022 and currently has a 6-2 overall record in the competition. “One of my main and most important goals every season. And I’m excited about going there and playing.”

The importance of the competition is also connected to what Alcaraz sees as missing from an otherwise extraordinary career. He has won multiple Grand Slam titles, completed the career Grand Slam in Australia this year and qualified for another ATP Finals, but the Davis Cup remains a title he has yet to win.

Tennis, Alcaraz said, can become lonely because of its individual nature, which makes representing Spain particularly meaningful to him. “For me, I’m really grateful to be Spanish and represent my flag. It’s one of the best things I can do right now.”

His route to the end of the year is therefore already defined: Shanghai from October 7-18, Paris from November 2-8, Turin from November 15-22 and then Bologna from November 24-29. The schedule leaves little room for rest, but Alcaraz believes his earlier absence has given him an important advantage in one area.