Remember this year’s Valentine’s Day? It wasn’t all hearts and roses for tennis fans. As Jannik Sinner, the Italian top-ranked, was hit with a 3-month suspension following two positive drug tests in early 2024. The ban sidelined him until May 4 and came just weeks after his stunning Grand Slam victory over Alexander Zverev under the lights of Rod Laver Arena. Since then, all eyes have turned to his arch-rival, Carlos Alcaraz, who’s won 4 Grand Slams at the young age of just 21. The young Spaniard, now through to the Monte Carlo Open final, recently spoke about the intense pressure he faced in Jannik Sinner’s absence — and how it affected his game. 

Carlos Alcaraz battled past a resilient Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a tense SF showdown. He secured a 7-6(2), 6-4 victory to reach his 1st Masters 1000 final since lifting the Indian Wells trophy last March. The 21-year-old prodigy faced plenty of adversity. He squandered three set points in a grueling 65-minute 1st set and needed six match points to finally close out the contest. 

With the win, Alcaraz booked his 23rd tour-level final. He now stands on the brink of reclaiming the No. 2 seed from Alexander Zverev. He has already overtaken Jannik Sinner to lead the ‘PIF ATP Live Race’ to Turin. But beneath the celebration was a rare moment of vulnerability. Speaking candidly after the match, Carlitos opened up about the mental strain he’s carried during Sinner’s absence. 

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Carlos added, “Since Jannik was unable to play tournaments, a lot of people were asking me and talking about, you know, how important the moment is that I have ahead to reach #1 again or to win tournaments or whatever. So probably in a certain way I was thinking so much about it instead of playing my good tennis and enjoying the time that I’m stepping on the court and playing matches.”

He also added about the realization he got after the Miami Open exit last month, quoting, “So after Miami, I realized the path that I have to follow, the things that I have to do, is not thinking about results, is not thinking about anything else but just enjoying. That’s the most important thing for me and not hear all expectations or all the things that people are talking about you. So that’s what I’m trying to do. I think I’m doing pretty good just thinking about the people that I have around, my family, my team and that’s it.”

Alcaraz’s recent assessment of the pressure he faced wasn’t far off the mark! He had a dazzling start to the season as he nearly toppling Novak Djokovic in a thriller at the AO quarterfinal. He then went on to capture his first indoor title at the ATP 500 in Rotterdam. But after that, his form took a noticeable dip.

At the Qatar Open, despite an impressive run that included wins over Marin Čilić and Italian Luca Nardi, he fell in the QF to Jiri Lehecka. At Indian Wells, players made a strong surge to the semifinals, but Jack Draper, the eventual champion, stopped their momentum.

Then came the Miami Open — an outing both fans and Alcaraz would prefer to forget. After taking the first set, the Spaniard shockingly bowed out in the R64 against David Goffin. It was a result that raised eyebrows across the tennis world.

Now, after reaching the final of the Monte Carlo Masters, the Spanish prodigy appears to have turned a page! He credited this mindset shift, alongside his growing patience, as the driving force behind his resurgence. 

“Just had to be patient,” Carlos Alcaraz shared his semi-final success mantra after reaching the Monte Carlo Final

The Spanish ace, Carlos Alcaraz, came into the Monte Carlo SF with history on his side. He had defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on clay in Barcelona in 2023. The Spaniard wasted no time asserting his dominance. He broke early in the first set. But the 42nd seed Fokina, fresh off a strong AO showing (reaching the last 16), dug in. He clawed his way back to 5-5, forcing a tie-break.

There, the Spaniard’s precision and power took over as he stormed through 7-2. In the second set, another early break tilted the momentum in Alcaraz’s favor. Despite Fokina’s gritty defense, he couldn’t stop the 3rd seed from sealing the win. He saved 13 break points and 4 match points, but it still wasn’t enough. And right after the hard-fought victory, Alcaraz reflected on the mindset that carried him through the pressure moments. 

Speaking in his in-court interview, Carlos revealed “It’s been a long time. I just had to be patient and believe that this moment was going to come again. Sometimes the people are not patient, they want me to make the final in every tournament. I’m really happy to give them the chance to watch one of my finals again.”

As the Spaniard prepares to face Italian Lorenzo Musetti, there’s history between them. Carlos comfortably defeated him in their last encounter at the ATP Masters 1000 Miami R16 last year. Do you think Carlos will come out on top once again in the red clay final tomorrow?