“I know all the things I have to improve” – Alcaraz to draw all possible lessons from humbling Djokovic defeat

If there is one thing we have come to know about Carlos Alcaraz through watching him over the course of this year, it is that he learns very quickly.

Nowhere was this more apparent than in his evolution from a relative novice into a fully-fledged, excellent grass-court player across both Queen’s and Wimbledon this summer.

It was made evident again across the course of this week’s ATP Finals, as he adapted his game plan to suit the lightning-quick courts in Turin, having initially struggled in his opening loss to Zverev.

After a humbling, one-sided defeat to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, Alcaraz will once again need to draw upon his ability to learn and apply changes quickly. Thankfully for the Spaniard, he has the off-season to work on this, and with the sting of this loss still fresh in the mind, that is exactly what he intends to do.

Quick-learning Alcaraz looks to draw lessons from difficult defeat

“Well, this match helps me a lot coming into the pre-season,” Alcaraz told reporters in his post-match press conference.

“Right now I know all the things I have to improve if I want to be there, if I want to beat the best player in the world.

“With Juan Carlos, we have to talk about the pre-season, what we have to practise, what we have to do. Obviously I’ll rewatch the match to see my weakness, just to improve it and be a better player.

“I will forget all the matches that I played against him [Djokovic], the Wimbledon final, Cincinnati, Roland Garros, and I’m going to focus on this match because I felt like I have to improve a lot of things if I want to stay at his level.

“That’s what I going to think in the pre-season.”

These are determined words from the 20-year-old, who will look to draw every possible lesson from such a painful defeat with the hope of turning a chastening night into one that will turbo-charge a successful 2024 campaign.

Alcaraz typically self-effacing as he lays bare shortcomings

Despite his visible disappointment, Alcaraz was once again remarkably candid and self-effacing in analysing this loss, something which has become a hallmark of his character and one of the many reasons why he already garners such popularity.

It also clearly helps in his ability to process tough lessons and turn them into productive positives.

In the aftermath of succumbing to cramping in his Roland-Garros semi-final against Djokovic, Alcaraz laid bare the reason for the cramps in a strikingly honest press conference. One month later and he was able to conquer the Serb at Wimbledon as a direct result of the lessons learnt from that French Open loss.

“I mean, he [Juan Carlos Ferrero] was telling me that I have to stay strong mentally, I have to stay strong there, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t. Is something that I have to improve, for example.

“He told me before the match to stay focus in the first shots. Here in this match I had 15 times that I had a mistake from the first shot. For me, was tough to deal with that.

“In some specific moments, some difficult moments, just serve and had a mistake during the first shot for me was a pity. For me was really, really tough to deal with.”

The next time we will see the world No 2 in competitive action will be in Australia at the start of a fresh new season. Alcaraz will have had the tonic of some much-needed rest and will have the benefits of an off-season under his belt.

If what follows from painful past defeats is anything to go by, then a highly successful Australian summer for the Spaniard still remains entirely likely.

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