Alcaraz cites fatigue in Barcelona defeat, pays tribute to Nadal’s claycourt feats

BARCELONA: Carlos Alcaraz admitted that fatigue played a key role in the leg issue that hindered him during his Barcelona Open final loss to Holger Rune on Sunday. The Spaniard, who was aiming for a third title at the tournament, saw his nine-match claycourt winning streak halted in a 7-6(6), 6-2 defeat to the in-form Dane.

Alcaraz, 21, had won the Monte Carlo Masters the previous week and struggled to maintain his physical edge in Barcelona, needing a medical timeout after going up 2-1 in the second set. “That’s what happens when you play so many matches and have so few days to rest,” he said. “Having played a tournament like Monte Carlo and arriving in Barcelona with few days to adapt is really tough.”

Reflecting on the difficulty of the European claycourt swing, Alcaraz took a moment to honour Rafael Nadal, the last player to win Monte Carlo and Barcelona back-to-back in 2018. “I bow at the feet of Rafa because of what he did week after week,” Alcaraz said. “Winning everything consecutively is impossible. Once you experience it, you appreciate what Rafa did much more.”

Despite the setback, Alcaraz remains optimistic about his fitness heading into the Madrid Open, which begins Wednesday. “We’ll have two days off … I’m confident it won’t affect me in Madrid.” The reigning Roland Garros champion will be hoping to regain full strength ahead of his title defence in Paris next month.(Reuters)