Alcaraz will be the last top player to make his debut at the 2024 US Open
Carlos Alcaraz will be the last top player to make his debut at the 2024 US Open. The former world number 1 – who won this tournament two years ago by winning the first Major of his young career – will face Li Tu in the evening session on the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium. The young Spaniard is one of the most anticipated players in this edition of the 2024 US Open, having won the last two Grand Slam tournaments (the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships) and the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The four-time Grand Slam champion did not shine in the Cincinnati Masters 1000 – coming out already in the second round against French veteran Gael Monfils – so he appeared in New York with a single match played on the hard court. The 21-year-old from Murcia will need a few rounds to express his best tennis, as he did at Wimbledon during the summer.
Carlitos had taken a big risk against American Frances Tiafoe and French Ugo Humbert during the first week of the Championships, raising his level in the second week until he made an amazing performance against 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the final. If he wins the 2024 US Open, Alcaraz would become the youngest ever to win five Grand Slam titles. The Spaniard ace suffered a minor ankle injury during a practice session a few days ago, but he said it was nothing serious.
Carlos Alcaraz will face Li Tu
Carlos Alcaraz’s first opponent at the 2024 US Open will be Australia’s Li Tu, who is playing the second Grand Slam tournament of his career after the 2021 Australian Open.
“I have no regrets and I believe that, at that time, everything happened as it should. Looking back, I think the expectations were too much for me. I was quite exhausted. Coaching the juniors benefited me a lot. Having a perspective from the sidelines really helped me to return, and gaining that additional perspective made me understand things from a completely different level. So, I learned a lot watching the sport from the sidelines, coaching, and supporting people on their journey,” Tu explained in a long interview with the official ATP website.
He is ready to face Alcaraz in New York: “It’s incredible. It’s just me out there on the court, but sometimes I forget that in tennis there’s a family behind me or what tennis means to a lot more people. When I qualified, many people shared and commented on it. I forget that many people are involved, and I believe I can play against one of the best players in the world on a stage like Arthur Ashe, the largest tennis court in the world, with my mother watching me; that will stay with me forever. I just hope to put on a good performance and make my parents proud, especially her.”
Carlitos wants to win more Slams
Li Tu will need a feat to beat Alcaraz, who has spent so much energy in the last two months but wants to end the season at the top of the ATP ranking. The Spaniard wants to win other huge titles: “I am very happy with my daily work to have the opportunity to win these titles as much as possible. I am 21 years-old and I have already won four Grand Slams but I am hoping it won’t stop here.
A lot of people are saying that if I have already four, how many I will be able to win in the future, but it won’t count much if you have won four now and that stops and you won’t evolve. My task is to keep growing and improving to win as many as possible because that’s my aim. It is what Djokovic has done during his whole career… he always wanted to keep improving when he played these kinds of tournaments, to give his best version. That’s what he has always achieved and that’s why a lot of people admire him. Let’s hope he won’t be able to continue winning more titles. Let’s wait and see but hopefully we will be able to continue with this path.”
The former world number 1 will try to improve on last year’s result, when he was defeated by Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals not playing his best tennis. The young Spaniard could face his big rival Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals, although both will have to overcome several obstacles before their eventual clash in New York. Fans still remember the epic match between Carlitos and Jannik in the quarterfinals of the 2022 US Open.
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