Carlos Alcaraz expressed his disappointment after losing to Nicolas Jarry in the semi-finals of the Argentina Open.
The Spanish player has not won a tournament in nine attempts since his victory at Wimbledon last year, where he defeated Novak Djokovic in an epic five-set match.
Alcaraz is currently ranked world No. 2 in the ATP rankings, but another loss could narrow the gap between him and other top players, like Jannik Sinner, who recently won the Australian Open and will compete against Alex de Minaur in the final in Rotterdam.
During his post-match news conference following his defeat against Jarry, the 20-year-old stated: “It’s a difficult defeat, it hurt me a lot.
“There are many things to improve, and my level has to go up. I played good tennis, but very far from my real level.
“I felt good physically, and it’s important, and I think that with work I will get better… but having opportunities is difficult.”
Alcaraz continues to impress with his maturity and self-awareness, despite his young age. The top seed in the Argentinian capital sees positives in his recent defeat.
“The positive thing is that I see that I have a lot of things to improve,” Alcaraz explained.
“Learning that I have to read the matches better, to give my best version in the moments of tension. Today I lacked that in the 0-30, in the break-points, to be able to play differently there.”
He also praised his opponent, Jarry, known for his powerful serve and forehand.
Jarry hit seven aces compared to Alcaraz’s zero. Alcaraz, with his talent and early success, faces high expectations at a young age and is now considered a top contender in every event he enters.
“It is true that expectations are generated in me in the tournaments where I go… maybe people think that I have to win every match, but Jarry has a level that can beat anyone,” Alcaraz said.
“It’s a shame to see that I haven’t improved some things in my concentration since 2023. There’s no other way, it’s something pending, and my level of play is based on the level of attitude and energy I’m in.
“The year is still very long, many things can still happen, and we will see how it goes on.”
