Carlos Alcaraz has defended his decision to skip the first two weeks of the season as he began his season with victory.
The Spaniard began his Australian campaign with a 6-1 7-5 6-1 victory over Alexander Shevchenko.
Alcaraz is bidding to win a career Grand Slam in Melbourne after two titles at Wimbledon and one title at Roland Garros and the US Open.
After the match the third seed spoke about the match and admitted he was proud of the way he fought through the tough moments, “I think I played a great level. Honestly, the first match of the season you never know how is going to be. I had the confidence to think that I was going to be good, but you never know. Just really, really happy with the level that I played, with everything I’ve done today. But I really want to be better in the next round,” Alcaraz stated in his press conference.
“Well, is something that I’m working on. Like when everything is going well, you’re happy, everything is in the right way so I wouldn’t turn into the bad way again. It feels like I’m thinking just to be good again. I mean, I knew that I have to be focus.
“I knew that I had to be there in the good rhythm. The good level is going to be good again. That is something that is in my mind, like not be mad, just try to recover the good rhythm again. That’s what I try in the second set. As I said, it’s the first match of the season.
“I think what happened was normal, to lose the focus a little bit. I just want to try not happen again in the next round. Yeah, I’m just trying to focus my game again.”
The world number three will be hoping he can continue his form as he aims to build on his Grand Slam tally of four so far.
However unlike most players Alcaraz didn’t enter a tournament before the Australian Open and he defended his decision not to during his press conference, “Well, I don’t know why was for them. But for me, I prefer to do a good pre-season, a little bit longer. That’s it. I prefer to instead having two weeks of preseason, having four. We don’t have too much period in December to have a long preseason,” the Spaniard explained.
“Start a tournament 250, United Cup. You have to think what’s better for you: stay at home or stay doing the preseason instead of playing any tournament, or not doing the preseason and playing some matches before the Grand Slam. I decided not to come.
“I think I’m in an age that I need weeks of practice. I need long preseasons just to be ready. Then the season is going to be long, so you have to be in a good shape. That’s why I decide not to play any tournament before the Grand Slam, coming straight to here.”
Next for Alcaraz will be Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka with the Spaniard leading the head-to-head 1-0.
The Spaniard is expecting a tough second round match despite leading the head-to-head, “Well, I know Nishioka is tough, tough player. I just try to play a good tennis. I will try to do the things that I improving, try to make more or be more comfortable and getting more confident,” Alcaraz said.
“It will be a really good match. I’ll be ready. I’ll be focused to play my own tennis, my own game, and let’s see.”
