Carlos Alcaraz recently described his upcoming 2024 ATP season as tough during a press event, causing laughter among his peers. Although on the surface it seemed like his best year yet, deeper scrutiny reveals some hurdles and a notable letdown by year’s end.
Starting 2024 with a loss in the Australian Open quarterfinals, Alcaraz snagged just one title before the French Open—the prestigious Indian Wells Open—where he defeated Daniil Medvedev in the final. He also triumphed over Jannik Sinner in the semifinals there, despite Sinner later testing positive for clostebol at that tournament.
The summer months of June and July were golden for Alcaraz. He clinched his first French Open title after an intense five-set match against Alexander Zverev, coming back from two sets to one down. A few weeks later, he secured another Wimbledon win by beating Novak Djokovic once more; this time it was smoother than their 2023 encounter .
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| es Carlos Alcaraz | 21 | 68,791 | 25 - 5 |
Highlights and Challenges:
Alcaraz’s joy turned sour at the Olympics when he lost the Gold medal match to Djokovic at Roland Garros, despite being favored to win. Then came a rough patch during North America’s hardcourt season, including an unexpected early exit against Botic van de Zandschulp in round two of the US Open.
Fans might think it’s surprising how even top players can have ups and downs like everyone else.
In response to these setbacks, Alcaraz managed to outlast Sinner again in an electrifying China Open final but couldn’t reach the ATP Finals semifinals or win a crucial doubles match at Davis Cup Finals—marking Nadal’s career end.
This month saw him play two exhibition matches: defeating Ben Shelton at Madison Square Garden but falling short against Frances Tiafoe in Charlotte. Before facing Tiafoe, Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys entertained spectators with their own game.
Reflecting on his 2024 journey during another press conference before exhibitions began; Alcaraz admitted dealing with injuries was new territory for him especially throughout clay court season yet felt content about lessons learned hoping next year would be even better: “I’m not used to dealing with so many injuries…but I ended it up good.”
A video below captures Stephens’ amused reaction asking if he’s serious while laughing alongside Tiafoe who jokingly notes how winning two Grand Slams equals ‘challenging’ for someone like Carlos—showcasing determination beyond youthful age aiming higher each time! What do you think about such an eventful year?
