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Carlos Alcaraz highlights there are "many things" in his game that need to be improved following a shock Buenos Aires semifinal loss.
After losing to Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open quarterfinal - in what was his first tournament of the season - Alcaraz returned to action last week at an ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires. Alcaraz, who was the top seed and the absolute favorite for the title in Buenos Aires, failed to win the title after Nicolas Jarry upset him 7-6 (2) 6-3 in the semifinal.
For Alcaraz - who hasn't won a title since Wimbledon - it was just yet another disappointing loss in the last half a year. This week, Alcaraz is competing at an ATP 500 event in Rio de Janeiro, where he won the title in 2022 before finishing as runner-up at the tournament last year.
"There are many things to improve compared to Buenos Aires," Alcaraz said in his pre-tournament press conference in Rio de Janeiro.
"I hit the ball very well, I think I'm in good shape, but I have to learn to play better in certain situations, better than I did in Buenos Aires.
"For example, on break points, in certain moments when I'm on edge, I have to do better than I did. That's the most important thing I have to improve if I want to get a good result in Rio."
Alcaraz plays Thiago Monteiro in his Rio de Janeiro opener
In the Rio de Janeiro first round, top-seeded Alcaraz will be taking on world No. 117 Monteiro. In 2021, Monteiro defeated Alcaraz at the Great Ocean Road Open in Melbourne but the Spaniard got his revenge a couple of months later, when he beat the Brazilian in the Cincinnati Masters qualifying event.
However, a lot has changed since their two meetings in 2021 as Alcaraz is now a two-time Grand Slam champion and has established himself as one of the top players in the world. With that being said, Alcaraz is the absolute favorite to end on the winning side against Monteiro.
For Alcaraz, making a strong start in Rio de Janeiro would certainly mean a lot considering how his Buenos Aires campaign went.