Carlos Alcaraz admits what was ‘surprising’ for him about his own performance in the Italian Open second round

Follow us on Google Discover

Carlos Alcaraz was looking to mark his return from injury with a big win in the Italian capital.

The world number three enjoyed a blistering start to his clay court campaign, when Alcaraz won the Monte-Carlo Masters and reached the final of the Barcelona Open.

Unfortunately for the Spaniard, he picked up an injury in Barcelona, which forced Alcaraz to withdraw from the Madrid Open.

Making his return in Rome for the Italian Open, Alcaraz will no doubt be looking to reach a third final on the surface in 2025.

Advancing to the third round with a convincing win over Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic, Alcaraz revealed what surprised him about his performance during his on-court interview.

Carlos Alcaraz says he was surprised by his ‘great performance’ at the Italian Open

Alcaraz beat Lajovic, 6-3, 6-3, in one hour and 21 minutes on Friday to book his place in the third round.

After the match, Alcaraz explained what was ‘surprising’ about his win over the Serbian world number 131.

“It was a great performance today, a great level,” he said.

“It was surprising for me, a little bit, but I am just really happy with that.

Alcaraz’s forehand was firing on all cylinders in Rome, as he hit 15 winners and just 12 unforced errors against Lajovic.

The 22-year-old was particularly pleased with how his body felt during his first match back from injury.

“The body felt, honestly, it’s feeling great,” said Alcaraz.

“I moved well, I just made a few good sprints today, so that was great. It was a test for me, and I think I passed the test.

“I tried to be more comfortable on the court, moving without thinking about the injury.

“I think today was a really good day at the office, hopefully tomorrow and Saturday it is going to be better.”

Alcaraz was then asked how he spent the past few weeks, while the Madrid Open tournament took place without him.

“I try to make the most of my time when I am not playing tournaments,” he said.

“I always try and find the positive things of everything. It was the same when I got injured before Madrid, but I thought it was a good thing I could stay at home more with my friends and family, and getting a bit of rest mentally as well.”

The world number three will return to the court to take on either America’s Alex Michelsen or Serbia’s Laslo Djere in the third round on Sunday, May 11.

Carlos Alcaraz has now won multiple matches at all nine Masters 1000 tournaments

Prior to 2025, Alcaraz had only visited Rome once before, where he lost in the third round of the 2023 Italian Open.

• 2023 Italian Open 3R – Carlos Alcaraz lost to Fabian Marozsan, 3-6, 6-7
• 2023 Italian Open 2R – Carlos Alcaraz beat Albert Ramos Vinolas, 6-4, 6-1

Alcaraz held a disappointing 1-1 record at the Italian Open, after suffering a shock defeat at the hands of Fabian Marozsan two years ago.

Following his win over Lajovic, Alcaraz has now won two or more matches at all nine Masters series events.

Rome does, however, remain the one event at the Masters 1000 level, where Alcaraz has yet to reach the quarterfinals, something he’d no doubt love to rectify in 2025.

Alcaraz will return to the court for his third-round match on Sunday, May 11.