Alcaraz gets set to bid for title at the Shanghai Masters

World number two Carlos Alcaraz said playing as part of a team at the Davis Cup and Laver Cup had left him feeling refreshed and ready to go in the Asia swing, where he is looking to add the Shanghai Masters title to his victory at the China Open.
Alcaraz, who won this year’s French Open and Wimbledon and took home a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, was not firing on all cylinders during the North American swing, losing in the second round at Cincinnati and the US Open.
Since his loss in Flushing Meadows, Alcaraz has helped Spain seal their spot in the Davis Cup’s quarter-finals and inspired Team Europe to victory in the Laver Cup, before beating rival Jannik Sinner to win the China Open.
“I had a really good month of practice after the American swing. The Davis Cup and the Laver Cup helped me a lot to get the energy back, to get motivated again,” Alcaraz told reporters on Thursday.
“I love playing teams competition, the Davis Cup with the players, with their team, with the Spanish federation as well, all the people who are around just to help me to be better, and feeling great off the court as well, that is really important.
“The Laver Cup, same thing. Those competitions helped me a lot to get the joy back on the court, and being focused on what’s next. I came here to Asia with a lot of energy, enjoying every single second that I step on the court, and that for me it’s really important.”
Alcaraz took three hours, 21 minutes to beat Sinner 6-7 (6) 6-4 7-6 (3) in the final in Beijing on Wednesday and faced a tight turnaround to compete in his first match in Shanghai.
Alcaraz said he had no time to celebrate becoming the China Open champion thanks to the gruelling tennis schedule, rushing straight from the stadium to catch a flight to the ongoing Shanghai Masters.
The 21-year-old has previously said that the men’s tennis schedule is “going to kill us”, and that “we have to do something about it”, but on Thursday seemed to rein in his criticism.
“The tennis schedule is so, so tight, we’re travelling from tournament to tournament with just one or two days before the tournament begins, so it is difficult, but we have to get used to it,” the Spaniard said.
He told reporters he had to take all his luggage to the stadium with him before the Beijing final, and only had time to do a press conference and take a shower before “running” to the airport.
“I just did everything in a rush... we arrived here in Shanghai super late so I couldn’t sleep as much as I wanted,” he said, adding that it was 4am (2000 GMT Wednesday) by the time he got to the eastern Chinese city.
Alcaraz will play his first match of the tournament tomorrow against Shang Juncheng, who became only the second player from China to win an ATP Tour singles title when he won the Chengdu Open last month.
“I’m going to approach the match the same way that I approach every match, I’m going to prepare as best as I can,” Alcaraz said. “I hope to keep playing the same way that I’m playing and let’s see what’s going to happen, but I’ll be ready.”
Sinner will also be playing in Shanghai, with many seeing the rivalry between the two as the new narrative of the men’s game.
“We are not close friends, but I think the respect that we have puts us in a position that we have a really good relationship,” Alcaraz said.
Also eyeing up the trophy is Novak Djokovic, who has won four times before in Shanghai and is targeting a 100th singles title. Also eying up the trophy is Novak Djokovic, who has won four times before in Shanghai and is targeting a 100th singles title.