Carlos Alcaraz lost his first-round match at the 2023 Paris Masters against the young Russian Roman Safiullin in one of the biggest surprises of the season.
After the duel, the World No. 2, who now has practically no chance of finishing as the year-end No. 1, tried to explain what happened.
"I just didn't feel good on the court," Alcaraz said after his tough loss.
"There are a lot of things to improve, a lot of things to practice. I didn't move well. In the shots I think I had good quality shots. But physically in the mobility part I have to improve a lot."
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Alcaraz praises Safiullin's levelHowever, the Spaniard also added that he was not surprised by the high level of his opponent. Currently ranked No. 45 in the world, Safiullin reached the final of the Chengdu Open last month, defeating Dan Evans and Lorenzo Musetti before finishing as runner-up to Alexander Zverev.
"I wasn't surprised at all, because I knew he had been playing at a high level these past few months, beating big guys and reaching finals. I knew he was going to play at a high level," Alcaraz said.
After his disappointment at the Paris Masters, Alcaraz will start preparing for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. There, he will hope to pull off a good result for a fitting end to a 2023 season that, despite a bad end, is still the best of his career after winning Wimbledon, Indian Wells, and the Madrid Open, while also finishing with a balance of 63 wins and 10 losses.
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"I have time before the ATP Finals, a lot of practice days to be able to reach that level, the level I want to play," he commented, "Honestly, after the defeat, I have to take some time before thinking about the next days... But obviously, before the Finals start, we have time."
