Carlos Alcaraz insists he isn’t fixating on reclaiming the No.1 slot as he doesn’t want to put himself under extra pressure.
The Spaniard is currently more than 3000 points behind Jannik Sinner in the race to the top spot and is in third place after Alexander Zverev. Although he will be able to close the deficit in the coming weeks with Sinner currently serving a three-month suspension relating to two failed anti-doping tests last season.
Alcaraz is currently playing in Indian Wells where he will not be able to overtake Zverev and Sinner even if he defends his title. He stormed into the quarter-finals on Wednesday with a 6-1, 6-1, demolition of Grigor Dimitrov.
“I’m not thinking much about recovering the No. 1 in two or three months. That could make me feel extra pressure,” Alcaraz told reporters after beating Dimitrov.
Instead, Alcaraz said his focus is on improving his tennis and being consistent on the Tour which he believes will then help his return to the top spot. He has already been ranked No.1 for 36 weeks which is a longer period than Mats Wilander (20 weeks), Daniil Medvedev (16 weeks) and Andy Roddick (13 weeks).
“I’m just focused on every day and every tournament because if I’m doing the right things, if I’m focused on every day and the things I have to improve, the result is gonna be there and then the No. 1 is going to come after.” He said.
“Right now, I’m focused on this tournament, Indian Wells, and I still want to play good tennis. Hopefully make the final and lift the trophy. That’s my goal here.
“I’m feeling better and better.
“After this, I will think about Miami and then the tournament next. If I’m just playing better and better in every match and every tournament, the results are gonna be good and then the ranking is gonna be much better.”
Alcaraz is currently on a 15-match winning streak in Indian Wells and is bidding to win the title for a third consecutive year. Something that was last achieved by Novak Djokovic between 2014 and 2016. Out of those 15 matches, the only players to have taken a set off him were Matteo Arnaldi and Sinner last year.
“Every time that I play here on this court, I just feel great the conditions here, the court, the balls,” Alcaraz said of his Indian Wells success.
“I think every day there is a little bit of wind which I like playing with. So I think everything suits my game, pretty well.
“I have time to reach the ball when I’m defending. I have time to make good positions to attack during the points.
“If I have to compare this stadium to the one I feel really well or the one I feel unbeatable, I don’t know, probably in Spain — Barcelona, Madrid — which I love playing there, as well.”
Alcaraz will next play Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo who he leads 1-0 in their head-to-head.
