Carlos Alcaraz arrives at the Rolex Paris Masters riding a wave of momentum, hoping to carry his recent form into the final ATP Masters 1000 event of the season.
The Spaniard lifted his fourth tour-level trophy of the year on Sunday at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, giving himself a timely boost ahead of a tournament where he is yet to clinch the title.
"Winning gives you a lot of confidence. At this tournament I really want to do great, at some point," Alcaraz said. "Coming into this week, being the champion of Vienna, [I got] a lot of experience, rhythm, and confidence.
"I just hope to deliver great tennis and a great level this week. Excited and looking forward to playing my first match."
Alcaraz has now won two trophies since returning to the Tour in August. The 23-year-old missed more than four months with a wrist injury earlier this year, but has impressed since making his comeback, also lifting the crown in Tokyo and reaching the quarter-finals at the US Open.
However, the road back was not always straightforward, with Alcaraz admitting that his time away from the Tour tested him mentally.
"It was a long period of time that I was out, so I had a lot of time to think and feel," Alcaraz shared. "There [were] some moments that I was sure that I was going to come back at my best. [But] there were some moments that I had doubts about myself, I'm not gonna lie.
"But when you're surrounded by great people, great professionals that I am surrounded by, and trust your team one hundred per cent, I would say it's easier to come back. I'm just really happy that I did a great job and we are here in this position right now."
Now firmly back among the Tour's most consistent performers, World No. 3 Alcaraz will have some Spanish company in the Top 10, with countryman Rafael Jodar making his own rapid rise. The 20-year-old, who made his tour-level debut in January, broke into the Top 10 of the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday.
"It's unbelievable the way he's playing in his first year on the Tour… I'm just really happy about him," Alcaraz said about Jodar. "Such a humble guy, great guy, going with his father as a coach all around and making great things. Really happy about him.
"He deserves to be in this position. It's great to have Spanish company in the Top 10. We all enjoy his tennis, because every time that I watch him, it's a privilege, it's a joy, and just excited about facing him one day for the first time and practising with him."
Alcaraz holds a 38-5 record for the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, and has already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held from 15-22 November. The seven-time major champion will play Alex Michelsen or Jiri Lehecka in his opening match in Paris
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