![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Rafael-Nadal-Carlos-Alcaraz.jpeg?width=600)
via Imago
Image credits: Imago
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Rafael-Nadal-Carlos-Alcaraz.jpeg?width=600)
via Imago
Image credits: Imago
It wasn’t what Carlos Alcaraz had hoped for in Turin. The former World Number 1 suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Alexander Zverev in his debut match at the ATP World Tour Finals. It was a thrilling match where the German star had to come back from a set down. Following the match, Alcaraz reasoned out his loss, an explanation that seemed to have similar undertones to that of Rafael Nadal.
The Spanish legend had once said that the ATP World Tour Finals should be played on outdoor courts. The surface has again become a topic of discussion, as Alcaraz blamed it for his defeat.
Carlos Alcaraz not happy with the courts in Turin
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Following the match, the Spanish tennis sensation was involved in an interview. During the same, he opened up about the nature of the courts, especially in the showpiece event in Turin.
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USA Today via Reuters
Sept 7, 2022; Flushing, NY, USA; Carlos Alcaraz of Spain after beating Jannik Sinner of Italy on day ten of the 2022 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
When asked whether the courts in Turin were very fast, Alcaraz said, “Yeah, I mean, this surface is the fastest on the year, that’s for sure. I don’t know why they put this kind of surface at the end of the year because all the tournaments that we have played on hard court is so, so slow, then we come here to the Masters and they put this court so, fast. I don’t know why.”
Further, he went on to add, “I’m not going to say they should do the tournament outdoor or indoor. I don’t understand about the speed of the surface because we never played in a surface like this in the year.”
Like Alcaraz, the ‘King of Clay’, Rafael Nadal, too, wasn’t happy with the nature of surfaces at the World Tour Finals when he participated in the event. He once wanted the tournament to take place on outdoor courts.
Rafael Nadal’s outdoor courts wish
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Despite ruling the tennis world over the years, Nadal has never won the ATP World Tour Finals. He has played the tournament 11 times but 2 finals appearances is the best he has managed to achieve. As a result of his unsuccessful run, Nadal vented out his frustration at the courts.
The Spaniard once said that he’s never played this tournament on clay or outdoor courts. The Spanish legend prefers to play in the sunshine where courts tend to play slow, giving an advantage to Nadal’s game. However, with indoor courts, the playing surfaces are lightning fast, which could be one of the reasons why the Spanish tennis legend has performed poorly at the tournament.
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Nonetheless, Alcaraz will look to adjust to this surface as he aims to come back stronger in the coming matches. He has two matches remaining in the group, one against Andrey Rublev and the other against Daniil Medvedev. Do you think the 2023 Wimbledon champ can overcome his early setback and make it to the latter stages of the showpiece event in Turin? Let us know in the comments.
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