ATP Tour

Alcaraz opens up on Ibiza trip ahead of Queen's...

From party time to go time, Carlos Alcaraz is ready to return to action this week at the HSBC Championships in London after a quick vacation stop in Ibiza. Just like last year, the 22-year-old celebrated his Roland Garros title by flying to the Spanish Island, where he spent time recharging with friends.

“I went to Ibiza again,” Alcaraz said during his pre-tournament press conference in London on Sunday. “It was fun, but honestly, I was there more mentally than physically. I had fun, just three nights, three days, and I think that was more than enough... The craziest thing was probably staying out really late. I danced a bit, but nothing more than what a normal person would do.”

Alcaraz earned his holiday after he saved three championship points against Jannik Sinner, rallying from two sets down for the first time in his career to win a five-hour, 29-minute five-set thriller. The World No. 2’s victory marked the endpoint of a busy clay-court period, which included title runs at ATP Masters 1000 events in Monte-Carlo and Rome.

“It’s kind of the middle of the season, so after the clay season, I think it is really, really intense, so after Roland Garros it is the best moment to go anywhere," Alcaraz said when explaining his decision to take a vacation. "My friends are going to Ibiza every year so I go to Ibiza as well. It doesn’t matter the place we go, it is time to refresh physically, mentally and go back to the grass season as good as I can.”

By defeating Sinner, Alcaraz preserved his perfect record in Grand Slam finals (5-0) and beame the third-youngest man in history to reach the five-major milestone, trailing only Bjorn Borg (aged 21) and Rafael Nadal (aged 22).

He also became just the third man in the Open Era to save at least one championship point en route to a Grand Slam trophy, joining Gaston Gaudio and Novak Djokovic. A week later, the magnitude of the moment is still sinking in.

“I still look at the phone and the media,” Alcaraz said. “I have seen a lot of videos from that match, that moment from match point down. I still watch it sometimes and can’t believe I came back from that moment. Sometimes it difficult to realise that I am in this position, that I won Roland Garros. I still watch the videos and am still in shock sometimes.”

This week, Alcaraz leads the field at the ATP 500 grass-court event in London. The 2023 champion holds a 6-1 record at The Queen’s Club, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index and will play Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the first round.