The 2023 Roland Garros two sets of great intensity and technical caliber before the cramps that literally conditioned Carlos Alcaraz, who then clearly lost the third and fourth sets managing to bring home only two games. The semi-final between the young Spaniard and Novak Djokovic didn’t have the ending that all tennis fans were hoping for due to the Spaniard feeling jittery and tense.
In an interview with Cadena COPE, the physiotherapist Juanjo Moreno, of the current US Open champion talked about the problem suffered by Carlos: “A defeat always hurts, it’s hard to accept, but we always say it’s not a defeat, but a learning experience. I was after the game to take care of Carlos and his body is fine, his muscles are in order.
But there was a lot of tension at the time, which translated into a moment of relaxation when the ramp arrived. This happens to many athletes in the press room, for example. Carlos always managed to handle it very well, in the warm up we were having fun, we were having fun, but as you approach the game nerves and tension appear, and on this occasion perhaps the mental tension was more evident than in other moments.”
Carlos Alcaraz’s words
Even the Spaniard, in the post-match press conference, spoke of the problems he had during the semifinal in Paris against the twenty-two times Grand Slam winner Djokovic: “It was really hard for me.
I’m disappointed that something like this happened in a game like this. I arrived at this match with great emotion, I felt good physically. Then I had cramps at the end of the second set and at the beginning of the third, it was really disappointing.
The first two sets were very, very intense, and I started having cramps in my arm. At the beginning of the third set, I started having cramps all over my body, not just my legs. Even my arms, every part of my legs. I think it’s because of the tension. Long rallies, two intense sets, drop shots. It’s a combination of many things.”
Carlos Alcaraz, among other things, in the event of the victory of the 36-year-old from Belgrade in the final against Casper Ruud, he would again be overtaken in the ATP ranking.