Carlos Alcaraz is keeping an eye on Jannik Sinner who he could face at the Shanghai Masters.
The Spaniard booked his spot in the fourth round of the Masters 1000 event with a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 victory over Gael Monfils in an entertaining affair.
The four-time Grand Slam champion avenged his defeat to the Frenchman in the opening round of the Cincinnati Masters.
The result ensured Alcaraz won his 12th successive matches since suffering a shock second round US Open exit in August.
Though Alcaraz needs to be Tomas Machac in the quarter-finals, he is in line for another battle against his rival Jannik Sinner, just over a week after their epic China Open final.
Is Carlos Alcaraz thinking about a possible Shanghai Masters Match against Jannik Sinner?
Though he is completely focused on each opponent who is put in front of him, Carlos Alcaraz is always thinking about competing the very best in the game. One of these players is Sinner, who is his biggest rival on the ATP Tour along with Novak Djokovic.
In 2024, the pair have commented themselves as the faces of the young generation who are taking over from the ‘Big 3’ of Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
They push one another to their limits during matches and therefore it comes as no surprise that Alcaraz has Sinner in the back of his mind each time they compete in the same tournament.
“Well obviously it’s always in your mind. Every tournament that I play I want to go further and that means if I’m going to play with the best players in the world,” the 21-year-old said during his on-court interview.
“It’s a great goal to reach the semi-finals and let’s see if he is going to make it as well. But yeah I’ve seen his matches before mine, playing at a great level.
“Watching great matches before mine helps me a lot just to put on a good show when I step on the court. Let’s see tomorrow if I’m going to play after him or not but I’m happy that both of us are going further.”
Carlos Alcaraz assess victory over Gael Monfils at the Shanghai Masters
Alcaraz became the first Spanish player since his Paris Olympics doubles partner Rafael Nadal to reach the Shanghai Masters quarter-finals since 2017.
The World number two defeated Monfils in a match that produced some thunderous ball striking and moments of deft touch.
Alcaraz secured one break of serve in both sets to claim the win and he was excellent moving forward, winning seven of his eight points at the net.
After wrapping up the win in one hour and 27 minutes, Alcaraz, who won his 51st match of the 2024 season, spoke about the keys to his win.
“The main thing I tried in this match was to stay calm, to control my emotions and wait for my chances,” he said. “I had a few opportunities to break his serve at the beginning of the second set [and] I couldn’t take them.
“In those times, I tried to stay calm and think ‘I am going to have more’. That helped me a lot to show my best tennis during the match. I am feeling the ball really well, much more than I was during the American swing. So, I am happy to be able to do it and keep going.”
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