Carlos Alcaraz, the 21-year-old Spanish tennis phenom, has reignited his pursuit of greatness, hitting the practice courts with unrelenting focus as he gears up for the Cincinnati Open and the 2025 US Open. After a whirlwind summer that saw him clinch both the French Open and Wimbledon titles, along with a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, Alcaraz is back on the hard courts, determined to reclaim his 2022 US Open crown. His recent training sessions in Spain, following a well-deserved break in Cádiz, signal a renewed hunger to dominate the North American hard-court swing, despite a challenging start to the season on this surface. With a fiery resolve and lessons learned from recent setbacks, Alcaraz is poised to make waves in Cincinnati and beyond.
The four-time Grand Slam champion’s return to training comes after a strategic withdrawal from the Canadian Open in Montreal, a decision driven by fatigue following his Olympic campaign. “I was feeling tired after a really intense few months,” Alcaraz admitted, reflecting on his choice to skip the tournament and recharge. Posts on X captured his return to the courts on July 25, 2025, with fans buzzing over videos of his explosive forehands and lightning-fast footwork. One clip showed him drilling baseline shots with his trademark intensity, a reminder of why he’s considered one of the sport’s brightest stars. His practice sessions are not just about refining technique but about adapting to the faster hard courts, a surface where he’s had mixed results this year but where his 2022 US Open triumph looms large.
Alcaraz’s 2025 season has been a rollercoaster of triumphs and challenges. His victories at Roland Garros and Wimbledon solidified his status as a generational talent, capable of outclassing even the likes of Novak Djokovic, whom he defeated in the Wimbledon final. However, his hard-court campaign has been less consistent. An unexpected second-round loss to Gael Monfils at the 2024 Cincinnati Open, where he uncharacteristically smashed his racket in frustration, marked what he called “the worst match that I’ve ever played on my career.” The defeat, a 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 upset, exposed vulnerabilities on the lightning-fast Cincinnati courts. “I couldn’t play. I want to forget it and try to move on to New York,” he said post-match, vowing to use the loss as fuel for improvement.
That setback, coupled with an ankle scare during a practice session with Francisco Cerundolo in New York last August, raised concerns about his US Open preparation. “I just stopped my practice just for precaution,” Alcaraz reassured reporters at the time, emphasizing that the minor tweak wouldn’t derail his campaign. True to his word, he appeared at Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day later that day, moving freely and flashing his infectious smile. His resilience shone through, as he insisted, “I’m still feeling good, my feet, so tomorrow I will try to be practicing again 100% without thinking about it.” This mindset—turning adversity into opportunity—defines Alcaraz’s approach as he prepares for the 2025 season’s final Grand Slam.
The Cincinnati Open, set for August 10-17, 2025, is a critical stepping stone. Alcaraz, who reached the final in 2023 in an epic three-hour, 49-minute battle against Djokovic, knows the tournament’s fast courts demand precision and adaptability. “I have great memories from last year, making the final and losing very tight in an epic match,” he recalled, referencing the longest best-of-three-sets ATP Masters final in history. This year, with Djokovic and Jannik Sinner also skipping Montreal, the field is wide open for Alcaraz to seize the No. 2 ATP ranking from Alexander Zverev, especially after his recent victory over Sinner at the China Open snapped the world No. 1’s 15-match win streak.
Alcaraz’s practice regimen is tailored to master the hard-court conditions he’ll face in Cincinnati and New York. “I always want to be better. I like to find the bad things I did in matches,” he said, highlighting his relentless self-analysis. His sessions focus on sharpening his aggressive baseline game and unpredictable shot-making, which he believes unsettles opponents. “I think I’m always pushing my opponents to the limit. They are not going to know what’s going to be next,” he noted, a strategy that proved devastating in his 2022 US Open run, where he became the youngest world No. 1 in ATP history at 19. His ability to mix blistering groundstrokes with deft drop shots and relentless defense makes him a nightmare for rivals, as evidenced by his 15-match Grand Slam win streak before last year’s shock second-round exit to Botic van de Zandschulp.
As Alcaraz prepares to face a stacked US Open field, including potential clashes with Sinner or Djokovic, he remains unfazed by his limited hard-court matches this season. “It doesn’t affect me at all,” he insisted, drawing parallels to his sparse clay and grass preparations before winning Roland Garros and Wimbledon. His confidence is bolstered by a stellar 2025, with 16 ATP titles and a silver medal to his name. Off the court, Alcaraz’s charisma continues to captivate fans, with social media posts on X praising his humility and work ethic. “He’s back, and he’s ready to dominate,” one fan wrote, echoing the sentiment of a tennis world eager to see him reclaim his throne.
With Cincinnati as his launchpad, Alcaraz is determined to erase the memory of last year’s disappointments and add a fifth Grand Slam to his collection. As he fine-tunes his game under the Spanish sun, the tennis world watches with bated breath, knowing that when Alcaraz is at his best, he’s nearly unstoppable.
🎾 Carlos Alcaraz ha vuelto a los entrenamientos esta mañana en las instalaciones de La Manga Club. pic.twitter.com/xoVFuQ6qMM
— Germán R. Abril (@gerebit0) July 25, 2025
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