“There wasn’t one moment I felt equal”: The rival who felt helpless against peak Alcaraz at the US Open

World No. 74 Mattia Bellucci gave an interesting interview after achieving the best year of his career, in which he secured his first Top 10 win, reached his best ranking inside the Top 70, and reached his first ATP-level semifinal, which was also at the ATP 500 level.

However, perhaps the match he will remember most from his season was his defeat against Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open. After a victory in the opener against the Chinese youngster Shang Juncheng (7-6, 1-6, 6-3, 3-0, ret.), the Italian had the opportunity to face Alcaraz at Arthur Ashe Stadium, suffering a defeat in which he could barely win four games.

Indeed, Alcaraz's level at Flushing Meadows was arguably his best tennis of the season. He reached the final without conceding a set and was crowned champion against Jannik Sinner—exacting revenge for Wimbledon and also returning to World No. 1. Among resounding victories, the one he achieved against Bellucci was perhaps the most impressive, lasting just an hour and a half, with 7 breaks in his favor and without conceding even a single break point opportunity to his rival.

In an interview with Spazio Tennis, Bellucci admitted that the environment played a massive role in the outcome, acknowledging the sheer difficulty of adapting to such a stage immediately without prior experience. “There really wasn't one thing where I felt equal in that moment, so you really don't know where to go to pick up points.”

Reflecting on the encounter, the Italian was candid about the feeling of helplessness during the match's peak intensity. "That was the one where I said, 'Today I don't know what to do to bring home a certain number of points that would allow me to at least stay somewhat in his wake,' especially at the start."

After winning just one game in the first two sets—which had taken Alcaraz less than an hour—Bellucci managed to recompose himself to show some opposition in the third set. The result ended 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 in favor of Alcaraz, who advanced to the third round with a firm step.

“The third set went better than the first two, where he was truly dominant,” the 24-year-old Italian said. “But I tell you that compared to other matches, even against Big players where I felt closer, the one against Alcaraz was the one where I said, 'Today I don't know what to do to bring home a certain number of points that would allow me to at least stay somewhat in his wake,' especially at the start. I mean, his serve and return were phenomenal.”

Beyond the matches, Bellucci had the privilege of stepping onto the practice court with Novak Djokovic, an experience that carries its own unique psychological weight. The Italian described a palpable shift in atmosphere when in the presence of the Serbian legend, characterized by an almost obsessive demand for perfection. "Unlike other greats, what I experience is that when you are with him, there is a significantly higher level of demand; he requires extreme precision from himself and his team."

This environment can be stifling for a younger player, leading to a mental block where the desire to be helpful overrides natural instinct. Bellucci confessed to feeling "total confusion" at times, trying so hard to execute what Djokovic needed that he lost his own rhythm.

Yet, he acknowledges that surviving this intensity is crucial for mental development, forging a toughness that only comes from facing the greatest of all time. "Reaching that level of demand against the greatest of all time is something I never would have imagined being able to do... situations that truly make you not only better but also stronger, stronger in character too."