'I'm playing great tennis': Carlos Alcaraz reacts to Shanghai Masters ...

NEW DELHI:

Carlos Alcaraz

is not dwelling on his recent three-set loss to Grigor Dimitrov in the

Shanghai Masters

Round of 16. Instead, the rising Spanish

tennis

sensation, who recently achieved a 5-2 record during the Asian Swing, is eager to hit the practice court.
In a press conference, Alcaraz shared his perspective, saying, "I always say that you can improve more from the defeats than the wins. After this trip, I took a lot of lessons to improve, to be better." He went on to emphasize his commitment to learning and growing in the sport.
"As I said in Beijing, I have to work on a few things to beat the best guys, and after this loss, it [happened] not too much time ago, so I have to think about it. But I will take a lot of lessons to improve in practice before the tournaments that I have ahead," Alcaraz added.

Alcaraz, currently the No. 2 player in the

ATP

Rankings, expressed his confidence in his performance, saying, "I think I'm playing great tennis. Even if I didn't make the quarter-finals [in Shanghai] or lost in the semi-finals [in Beijing], I think I'm playing great tennis. So I have to practice at 100 per cent in the weeks before Basel. That is the next tournament for me, so I'll try to do my best in that tournament."
After clinching the first set, Alcaraz appeared to be in a favourable position to secure a victory over the 2017 ATP Finals champion, Grigor Dimitrov. However, Dimitrov maintained his level of play, making it challenging for Alcaraz to regain control of the match.

Reflecting on his performance, Alcaraz said, "Probably I had to start the second set better. I think I made a few mistakes in the first game that I shouldn't do. That is the truth." He highlighted the consistency and intensity displayed by Dimitrov throughout the match, noting that his opponent did not allow him to impose his own game.
While Alcaraz acknowledged the missed opportunity in Asia to narrow the gap on Novak Djokovic in the race for ATP Year-End No. 1, he also commended Dimitrov for his remarkable performance in their ATP Head-to-Head series.
"I think he played great. He played a great match since the beginning until the last ball. No up and downs in his game. Comparing to the matches that we've played before, he was on another level today. So congratulations to him, and I have to be better if I want to beat this Grigor," Alcaraz stated.
(With ANI inputs)