Carlos Alcaraz’s impressive run at the Shanghai Masters 1000 came to an unexpected end in the quarterfinals, where he was defeated by Czech player Tomas Machac, who is arguably playing the best tennis of his career. Machac, who had already eliminated Tommy Paul in the previous round, delivered an almost flawless performance, halting Alcaraz’s streak of consecutive wins.
Alcaraz, fresh off his victory at the ATP 500 in Beijing the previous week, had not dropped a set leading up to his match against Machac. However, the level of play from his opponent surprised him. The two had previously faced off in the Davis Cup just a month earlier, with Machac pushing Alcaraz to the brink before suffering from cramps. This time, Machac was able to finish the job.
With this loss, Alcaraz missed out on a potential semifinal clash with Jannik Sinner at one of the season’s final Masters 1000 events. Now, he shifts his focus to preparing for the highly anticipated “Six Kings Slam” exhibition in Saudi Arabia, which boasts a massive prize pool. Following that, the 21-year-old will compete at the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000 and the prestigious Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.
Despite his disappointment, Alcaraz remains positive about his performance in Asia. Reflecting on his time in China, he said, “It has been a great tour. Winning the title in Beijing was a fantastic achievement. I improved on my performance in Shanghai compared to last year, so that’s something to be proud of. Of course, I’m disappointed to have lost today, but that’s tennis. You have to accept it and move on.”
Alcaraz also praised Machac’s remarkable display: “There was a point where I didn’t know what to do. Every time I hit a forehand, it felt like a winner, but he would counter with an even better shot. He pressured me in ways I wasn’t expecting.”
In addition to his goals in the remaining tournaments, Alcaraz is looking ahead to the Davis Cup Finals in November, where he will represent Spain and potentially play alongside his idol, Rafael Nadal, who will make his final professional appearance. Alcaraz shared his admiration for Nadal, expressing how difficult it will be to see him retire. “He’s been my idol since I started playing tennis,” Alcaraz said. “I’ll try to enjoy every moment of his last matches.”
With Nadal’s farewell approaching, fans are eager to see if Alcaraz and Nadal will team up one last time, potentially in a Davis Cup doubles match, before Nadal’s retirement.
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