Save
The tour of land in Montecarlo is lit, present the phenomenon Carlos Alcaraz and also Novak Djokovic. The Serbian returns to the circuit after a start to the year in which he made more news for his problems with the law as a result of his refusal to get vaccinated for coronavirus than for his triumphs. In fact, the number 1 in the world debuts this Tuesday at the Monegasque Masters 1,000 with more doubts than certainties.
He has only played three games throughout the course, at the ATP 500 in Dubai, in February. Two wins and one loss, against Jiry Vesely, which do not indicate his form or, above all, his mental state. Especially upset in that month of January in which he had to deal with a deportation from Australia for not meeting the country’s requirements to land on Australian soil and, therefore, to play the first Grand Slam of the year.
And with another blow in early March when he decided to break the relationship with his longtime coach, Marion Vadja.
“I try to be optimistic in my life. I learn the lessons in every experience, especially something as big as what happened in January. Once I start playing games… I’ll have to deal with everything, which has probably fallen asleep inside and maybe it’s waiting to come out. I don’t feel like it left a big scar on me like not being able to train or participate in tournaments or live my life away from all that. But it’s been a challenge for months and something I haven’t faced before. So I will try to use it as gasoline for what is to come, “said the Serbian, who debuts this Tuesday against Alejandro Davidovich.
The number 1 in the world, who lost his position just a few days in favor of Daniil Medvedev, goes down in Monte Carlo due to a hernia operation, warns that he has missed competing. “These last four or five months have been difficult for me, mentally and physically, but I am here. I will try to leave everything behind and move on », he pronounced. On his main target this year: Paris. “My victory in Roland Garros last year is still fresh in my memory. I’ll use it as inspiration to start the gravel season in the best possible way. I am aware that I will probably not be at my best at the beginning of the week, I will test myself and build my game.
They are not in Monte Carlo, due to various injuries, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Matteo Berrettini, Daniil Medvedev, Dominic Thiem or Gael Monfils. But there is the current champion, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Hubert Hukacz, Cameron Norrie and the aforementioned Alcaraz, ready to show that he is prepared to undertake the assault on the heights, although he has not yet turned 19 years old, with more maturity than the other youngsters on the circuit.
In fact, he was smiling in the preview when he was asked about a possible matchup in the quarterfinals with Novak Djokovic. “It would be amazing to play against him. A great challenge.” But the pupil of Juan Carlos Ferrero feeds on them. Raised to eleventh position in the ranking, he is exempt from the first round, and although it is the first time he has set foot in Monte Carlo, he is no stranger to playing a Masters 1,000 or moving with the elders. He won his first Masters title in Miami, but it’s on clay that he moves best. First step, the winner of the Korda-Van den Zandschup duel.
–:format(jpg):focal(545x417.5:555x407.5):watermark(cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ipmgroup/AUNLS2PQH5H3RP72VQ7AL72C4I.png,0,30,0,100)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ipmgroup/FB7QGUIOQJDDRAHVM2E5PWRJIE.jpg "EpiCURA hospital has opened its new car park in Ath")
