Carlos Alcaraz Reflects on Past US Open Experiences

Carlos Alcaraz remembers vividly winning the US Open in 2022 at just 19 years old and reaching the semi-finals the next summer. Yet, the memories that linger most are not the happy ones. They’re tied to his surprising early exit the previous August, where he lost the title after victories at the French Open and Wimbledon.

In that tournament, he unexpectedly fell in the second round to van de Zandschulp, an unseeded Dutch player. “Honestly, when I walked onto the court last year, I had some bad thoughts,” Alcaraz shared on Wednesday night. “I was really nervous. I thought, ‘I don’t want to go through that again—I lost in the second round last year.’”

However, early in his recent match against unseeded Italian Mattia Bellucci, it was clear Alcaraz’s chances for another early exit were slim. He took the first five games, eventually securing a convincing win with scores of 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

While he faced some challenges, Alcaraz looked like a favorite, alongside top seed Jannik Sinner, despite dropping his serve in the tournament. “I played really well from start to finish,” he commented in a post-match interview. “I know what Mattia is capable of, but today just wasn’t his day. I aimed to capitalize on his mistakes.”

Still, he felt there were areas he could improve: “I didn’t feel quite as good as I wanted, so I think I need to work on a few things. Generally, I’m really pleased with my performance today.”

Next, Alcaraz is set to face the 32-seeded Luciano Dadeli, who triumphed over American Elliot Spitzirli with a score of 6-0, 7-6, 2-6, 6-4.

Alcaraz emphasized how much he values his 2022 Open Championship, marking it as his first Grand Slam win and making him the youngest man to claim this title. Great athletes often mention how losses can sting more than victories, and this seems to resonate with Alcaraz regarding his early exit last year.