Carlos Alcaraz admits breaking into the top-5 means a lot to him and adds he is now a step closer toward achieving his ultimate goal of reaching the No. 1 spot.
Alcaraz, 19, achieved a career-high ranking of No. 5 this Monday and he is the second youngest player ever to enter the top-5.
The record still holds Rafael Nadal, who was 18 when he broke into the top-5 for the first time in his career.
“It means a lot. The hard work that I put in every day for reaching my dreams, [No.] 1, and little by little I’m reaching my dream,” Alcaraz told the ATP website. “Top five for me is pretty amazing and I will keep going to be [No.] 1.”
Alcaraz fails to win the Hamburg title but breaks into the top-5
Alcaraz, who was the top seeded player in the Hamburg main draw, suffered a surprise 6-4 6-7 (6) 6-4 loss to Lorenzo Musetti in the Hamburg final.
Alcaraz saved five championship points in the second set but failed to complete a comeback victory in three sets.
“I think he deserved the win today. He played better than me, of course,” Alcaraz admitted. “He was more aggressive all the time. I didn’t play my best, but I fought until the last ball and I’m really happy with that.”
After finishing runner-up in Hamburg, Alcaraz is preparing to compete at this week’s ATP event in Umag.
Umag may be an ATP 250 event but it will always be a special place for Alcaraz since he won his first ATP title there a year ago.
“Of course Umag is a special tournament for me. I got my first title there, so I’m defending the title this year,” Alcaraz said. “But I’m going to try to play my best and of course take lessons from here.”
Alcaraz is the top seeded player in Umag and has a first round bye at the tournament.