Home » “I just want to be who I am and transmit,” says Carlos Alcaraz.

At the ATP 500 in Rio, Carlos Alcaraz plans to defend his championship. The teenager won the trophy last year, making him the ATP 500 Series’s youngest winner since the competition’s start in 2009. Carlos will gain 6,980 more ATP points if he prevails, matching world number one Novak Djokovic.

The Serbian will keep the ATP title, though, since he accrued more points in the Majors, ATP Finals, and Masters 1000. Novak holds a commanding 5820-5090 advantage over the young Spaniard at three higher levels, winning 3,500 points in Turin and Melbourne alone, despite dropping 2,000 ATP points at Wimbledon.

Alcaraz is back after missing three months due to an injury. The Spaniard, who triumphed in Buenos Aires last week, will compete in Rio de Janeiro for another prize. Novak, on the other hand, is the tournament’s top seed in Dubai and making his first appearance since taking home his 22nd Major championship in Melbourne in January.

After victories in Adelaide and the Australian Open to kick off the year, Djokovic replaced Alcaraz atop the ATP rankings. Novak set his eyes on 400 weeks on top after becoming the only player with 378 weeks as the top player.

After winning the US Open and becoming the youngest world No. 1 in ATP history, Alcaraz was in a far stronger position than Djokovic. Carlos had the chance to add to his already outstanding trophy cabinet, but instead of building on that, he only participated in a few tournaments at the end of the season.

Due to an abdominal injury, the Spaniard withdrew from the Paris Masters quarterfinal match and missed the ATP Finals and Davis Cup Finals. He nevertheless set another age record that will be challenging to top as he concluded the season and the year in first place.

Due to a leg injury, Alcaraz was unable to compete at the Australian Open and lost the ATP crown to Djokovic. Djokovic, on the other hand, has been a man to beat since Wimbledon last year, not dropping a set while taking home six championships in the previous seven events.

Alcaraz arrived later than expected this season.

Carlos Alcaraz arrived late this season after being forced to withdraw from the 2023 Australian Open owing to injury. “Here in Rio, I feel a special affection. The public gave me a lot of support. Today was evidence of the great moments I had on the court in Rio “After defeating Nicolas Jarry in the semifinal match, Carlos Alcaraz stated.

Carlos Alcaraz stated that “I believe that fans want to watch joy and fantastic shots.” “I don’t think about being the player that people want to see after the Big 3, I simply want to be who I am and convey joy on the court,” Alcaraz added.