"I couldn't handle the pressure"- Carlos Alcaraz after losing his first tour-level match as World No. 1
Carlos Alcaraz lost his first tour-level match since becoming the World No. 1 as he went down 7-5, 6-3 to David Goffin in the first round of the Astana Open.
Both players exchanged breaks in the first set, with the Belgian landing the decisive one in the final game to win 7-5. Goffin dominated the second set, breaking Alcaraz twice to go 5-1 up.
The Spaniard showed a bit of resistance by pulling a break back but his opponent was not to be denied on the day. The Belgian won the second set 6-3 to win the match and seal his place in the Round of 16 where he will face Adrian Mannarino.
Subito una sconfitta per il leader del ranking ATP! 😧🎾🇪🇸
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Speaking at his post-match press conference, Alcaraz praised Goffin and said that he could not handle the pressure the Belgian put on him.
"It was a tough game. David played wonderfully. Returning to the competition is never easy, he has already played two games on this court, which is not the easiest to get used to. It is very slow and it has been complicated. I was able to adapt and he was superior," the 19-year-old was quoted as saying by MARCA.
"He played very aggressively and I couldn't handle the pressure he put on me. It's something I have to learn from, I have to take note of the lessons from this game," he added.
The Astana Open hasn't been a good one for Spanish players so far, with Albert Ramos Vinolas and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina also eliminated in the opening round. Roberto Bautista Agut is the only player from the country who has made it to the Round of 16.
Carlos Alcaraz's only win since claiming US Open title came in Davis Cup
Carlos Alcaraz has won just one of three matches since winning the US Open and becoming the World No. 1.
He represented Spain in the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals and lost his first singles match 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2 to Felix Auger-Aliassime. He then beat Kwon Soon-woo 6-4 7-6(1) to seal Spain's victory over South Korea.
The country won their group and qualified for the Davis Cup quarterfinals where they will take on last year's runners-up Croatia.