Carlos Alcaraz has indicated that he needs a few days to regain his focus before the French Open tennis tournament, after suffering a surprising loss on his favorite surface against rising Hungarian talent Fabian Marozsan at the Italian Open on Monday.
The 20-year-old player had been in excellent form on clay, having won the Buenos Aires title earlier in the season before claiming titles in Barcelona and Madrid ahead of the Italian Open.
However, Alcaraz, who is expected to take the world number one ranking from Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros, struggled against the world No. 135 Marozsan, marking his second loss on this surface this year.
Alcaraz told reporters: "I was in excellent physical condition. I didn't just feel comfortable. He made me feel uncomfortable on the court. He played aggressively the whole time," adding, "It was difficult for me to get into the rhythm of the exchanges. I made a lot of mistakes that I usually don't make. Of course, we can have days like this and we have to deal with them."
He continued, "I was close to winning the second set, and I had opportunities but didn’t capitalize on them. He played consistently throughout. He deserved to win."
Alcaraz confirmed that he looks forward to taking some time off before the second Grand Slam of the year, which starts on May 28.
He said, "I will take some rest. I need a few days to regain my focus to be ready for Roland Garros," adding, "Of course, I will need to train; this is no secret. I have to practice if I want to achieve good results in Paris and want to go there in good shape."
Alcaraz concluded, "I can't train for more than three or four consecutive days. I have played a lot, and it will really be beneficial to spend a few days at home to train and prepare."
