Carlos Alcaraz believes he is more mature than last year ahead of Barcelona Open title defence
Former World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz recently claimed that he has matured significantly since last year as he prepares to defend his title at the 2023 Barcelona Open.
The Spaniard won the third Masters 1000 title of his career at Indian Wells in March 2023. However, things took an unwanted turn when he was unable to defend his Miami Open title and thus lost his World No. 1 ranking to Djokovic. The 19-year-old also pulled out of the recently concluded Monte-Carlo Masters.
Nevertheless, the good news is that Alcaraz recently shared pictures of himself practicing on the clay courts of Barcelona, preparing for his title defense at the ATP 500 tournament.
Before beginning his campaign on home soil, Carlos Alcaraz spoke with Marca, saying that he believes he is more mature than last year and that winning titles hasn't changed him as a person.
"I'm more mature than last year, I read things better in case there's something going wrong. I feel the same at the level of blows. The jump I have hit is because of the maturity and the ability I have to read things on the track," he said.
"Titles haven't changed me as a person. I feel like the same old guy, with the same group of friends. You have to separate tennis from personal life," he added.
"Will try to avoid the pressure of defending the title and get out on track and enjoy" - Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz added that he enjoys playing in Barcelona and that he will try to avoid the pressure of defending the title by getting out on the court and having fun.
"I love playing here in Barcelona, my family is coming and I have friends. We will try to avoid the pressure of defending the title and get out on track and enjoy," Alcaraz said.
The Spaniard also stated that the absence of Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev does not make him the favorite to win the title and that anyone in the draw can beat him.
"There have been big absences like Rafa and Medvedev, who were candidates to win the tournament, but the lack of them does not make me feel more favorite. All the players who are in the draw can beat me," he said.