Carlos Alcaraz has defended his decision to take a holiday instead of building his match fitness at ATP Tour events ahead of the Australian Open. The Spaniard, who defeated Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final last year, is among the favourites to win the first Grand Slam of 2024 but hasn’t entered a competitive event since competing at the ATP Finals in November.
“Well we end the season so, so late,” Alcaraz explained. “I prefer to have a holiday, have my days to recover my body, my mind as well. Obviously I prefer to do a really good pre-season.
“I think we discussed with my team as well that we need almost four, five weeks of pre-season to prepare well this season for the first Grand Slam of the year. We have no time if I wanted to play a tournament before the Australian Open.
“At the end we preferred to come here to the Australian Open, straight to a Grand Slam. I think I’m a guy who doesn’t need so much competition before a big tournament. Obviously [it] always help. I think I’m prepared to do good things here in the Grand Slam.”
Alcaraz, who is set to begin his Australian Open run against Richard Gasquet on Tuesday, played two charity matches at the Rod Laver Arena last week as he defeated Casper Ruud after losing to Alex de Minaur. The 20-year-old previously defeated Djokovic in an exhibition match in Saudi Arabia just after Christmas. And he will face the Serbian in the Australian Open final if both players win their opening six matches.
Djokovic has dominated the Australian Open throughout his illustrious career and has won the Grand Slam a record 10 times. Last year, the veteran got the better of Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final after being banned from the tournament 12 months earlier due to the fact he had not been vaccinated against Covid-19.
Alcaraz was absent from last year’s tournament in Melbourne due to a leg injury but went on to reach the semi-finals of the French Open and the US Open either side of his Wimbledon triumph. And discussing his rivalry with Djokovic, the young star said: “It’s an extra motivation for me. I’m an ambitious guy. I always want to play against the best players in the world to see what is my level.
“Obviously it’s a good test, playing against him in the tournament where he’s almost unbeaten. I’m looking to reach the final and hopefully playing a final against him. It would be great obviously.”
