"I’m just happy and ready to play well on clay”: Carlos Alcaraz addresses critics ahead of Monte-Carlo debut

Carlos Alcaraz has expressed satisfaction with his recent performances as he prepares to make his debut at the Monte-Carlo Masters. The 4-time Grand Slam champion will compete in the first clay-court Masters 1000 of the season for only the second time, aiming for his maiden win at the tournament.

The World No. 3 has faced criticism following a string of surprising defeats. After claiming the title in Rotterdam — his first on indoor hard courts — he fell in the Qatar Open quarter-finals to Jiri Lehecka. During the Sunshine Double, he failed to defend his Indian Wells crown, losing to Jack Draper.

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Perhaps the most unexpected loss came at the Miami Open, where he was defeated in his opening match by World No. 55 David Goffin. Expectations around the Spaniard are always sky-high, and losses to lower-ranked opponents often raise doubts about his form — but Alcaraz insists he's on the right track. “I am really happy with the way I am playing,” Alcaraz told reporters in Monte-Carlo.

“Since I started the year I have been playing great tennis,” said the 21-year-old, also crediting the level of his opponents. “Tennis is not just about hitting the ball. It is about more than that. It is about mentality, the physical side.”

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“With my game I am really happy about it. If I don’t win, it doesn’t matter if I play well or not — people don’t consider the opponent, they just think about me. If I lose, they say something is wrong. I don’t think that’s fair. I am just happy and ready to play well on clay.”

According to Alcaraz, the level of competition on tour is increasingly even, making tournament results “very open’. “A lot of people might have said we should have played better tennis or won more tournaments, but I don’t think that is fair,” he added.

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Alcaraz isn’t the only top player who has experienced setbacks recently. With Jannik Sinner’s absence from Monte-Carlo, many expected players like Alcaraz, Zverev, or Djokovic to dominate the big events — but new names have emerged, causing upsets. The Sunshine Double even crowned two first-time Masters 1000 champions: 23-year-old Jack Draper and 19-year-old Jakub Mensik.

“I think the draw in every tournament is very open and a lot of players are playing good tennis and deserve to be there,” said Alcaraz. “There are so many players who play well on clay and on all surfaces. I think the clay season will be interesting — I see many players capable of doing great things on clay.”

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