Spanish teen sensation Carlos Alcaraz lost to fellow upcomer Sebastian Korda in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters, in what was his first clay-court Masters appearance this season.
In windy conditions that have typified this year’s Monte Carlo, the two young guns played out a very tight, and wonderfully entertaining, three-set affair. The American prospect eventually triumphed 7-6(7-2) 6-7(5-7) 6-3, recovering from a break down in the decider to then power his way over the finish line in the Southern France heat.
The result will no doubt prove a disappointment for the rising star, who was coming off the back of his first ever Masers 1000 title in Miami just over a week ago.
While Alcaraz is still only 18 years old, this season has seen the excitement around what this Spanish youngster can go and achieve reach almost hyperbolic levels at times.
Not only did he become the youngest ever winner of the Miami Open last week (and the third-youngest male player to win any Masters tournament), Alcaraz also picked up his first ATP 500-level tournament in Rio de Janeiro a few weeks prior to his victory in Florida. He also reached the semi-finals of the first instalment of the ‘sunshine double’ in Indian Wells a week before Miami, losing to Rafael Nadal in a captivating three-set clash of the generations.
But aside from the results, perhaps it is the young Spaniard’s style of play that has so many in the tennis world sitting up in their seats. There is seemingly nothing that Alcaraz can’t do on the court. With immense power off both wings, a superb touch at the net, and innate understanding of when to utilise his quite marvellous drop shots to throw opponents off, Carlos Alcaraz really is a sight to behold. Such extreme athleticism lends itself to thoroughly entertaining points, as he is able to get to shots that would ordinarily be out of reach for most players.
The hype surrounding Alcaraz always seemed premature. Regardless of how good he will become; he is still in the very earliest fledgling years of his career. Losses like this one against a very talented opponent will be regular occurrences as Alcaraz continues to find his feet on tour. The future is bright for the extraordinary Spanish teenager, and he will reach the heights we all expect him to, with time.
As for his fellow up-and-comer, Sebastian Korda continues to showcase all the ingredients needed to make it right to the top of the game – Korda is definitely one to keep an eye on with betting online as he is capable of beating anyone on his day. With an intelligence and mental fortitude well beyond his 21 years, Korda is one of the few American players to assert their affection for playing on a clay court surface.
“It was nice to get the victory today,” Korda said in his on-court interview after the match. “I stayed calm and believed in my returning. It was super tough, every time he threw up the ball it moved around. It was a crazy match.”
Whatever comes next for Korda and Alcaraz, these are two players who have huge futures in front of them, and their burgeoning careers are most certainly going in the right direction.
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