After a difficult time at the Miami Open, Carlos Alcaraz is now preparing for an extensive clay court swing.
The Spaniard enjoyed an impressive clay court season last season, winning the Monte Carlo Masters, the Italian Open, and Roland Garros.
Alcaraz is set to arrive in Monte Carlo on April 3rd as he prepares to bounce back from Miami and defend his title.
Ahead of his return to the clay, his coach, Samu Lopez, has suggested what Alcaraz plans to do over the next few months.
Carlos Alcaraz’s clay court plan laid out by Samu Lopez
Alcaraz has a stacked schedule following the Monte Carlo Masters and Lopez has explained the reason behind the volume of events.
“Okay, so initially we’re going in with the mindset of playing everything, of playing the whole tour, you know?
Will Jannik Sinner overtake Carlos Alcaraz and become world number one? 🤔
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“I mean, in the end, the Masters 1000s, let’s say that physically they’re not as intense, physically they’re not as intense as when Rafa was playing, when he played every day.”
Alcaraz is set to play events in Barcelona, Rome, and Madrid in the lead up to Roland Garros following the Monte Carlo Masters
Lopez believes it will be tough for Alcaraz, especially as Masters events are now 10 days instead of the traditional week.
Lopez added: “Mentally, though, they can be even even a bit more so because you don’t really switch off during the 10 days of competition, as long as you last.
“But, well, we’re going to try to manage it as best we can, you know? In between, there’s the Barcelona Open, which Carlos always has a special motivation to go there.
“This year, last year I couldn’t go to Madrid, but of course, he has a special motivation to go to Madrid, and then there’s Rome, which he won last year, it’s the last one.”
Lopez said that Alcaraz’s early exit in Miami is partly the reason for the extensive schedule on the clay swing.
“The idea is to go to all of them, you know? If Monte Carlo had gone well, if it had gone better in Miami, we probably would have ruled it [Monte Carlo] out. Monte Carlo is going to be a bit of a tune-up tournament.”
Alcaraz has more pressure on him during the clay swing, as Jannik Sinner is breathing down his neck in the race for world number one.
If Sinner wins the Monte Carlo Masters, he will reach the summit of the ATP Tour at the expense of Alcaraz.
Carlos Alcaraz’s clay court record
Alcaraz often states that the clay is not his favourite surface, but he still holds an incredibly strong record on the surface.
The two-time Roland Garros champion has a 103–19 win-loss record on the surface, which equates to an 84% win rate.
What do you think is Carlos Alcaraz’s best surface and why?
That has helped him win 11 ATP Tour titles on the clay, including all three of the Masters events on the surface.
Alcaraz will be hoping he can emulate the form he found on the clay court swing in 2025 as he looks to fend off Sinner at the top of the ATP Tour rankings.
