Carlos Alcaraz will be feeling pretty confident about his chances of winning the Paris Masters, especially after his triumph yesterday.
After all, the 21-year-old brushed aside his opponent in straight sets, likely secretly buoyed by the news that had emerged earlier in the day.
Jannik Sinner had pulled out of the Paris Masters.
Citing an illness as the reason behind his absence, this has blown the title race wide open, with Alcaraz the new favourite given the world number one had vacated his spot.
However, there is one thing that might prevent the Spaniard from cruising to victory at the tournament…
Carlos Alcaraz reacts after beating Nicolas Jarry at Paris Masters
Speaking to reporters, Alcaraz laughed when asked about the state of the courts following his routine win over Nicolas Jarry.
After all, it was already reported that the conditions of the Paris Masters courts were ridiculously fast, and the Spaniard experienced that first-hand yesterday.
Given Alcaraz complained about the speed of the courts in Cincinnati, many thought this might be a struggle for the young superstar.
And whilst it could be in the coming days, for now, he is managing.
He admitted: ‘Faster than Cincinnati? (laughs). This court is very slippery. We have to get used to it, there is no other way. For tennis, for the spectators, not having so many exchanges is difficult. I would have played it a little slower, to make it more exciting. Today I felt very good on the court. In these conditions you have to put in more hours.’
Carlos Alcaraz is the new favourite for the Paris Masters title
Whilst Sinner’s absence is set to massively help Alcaraz’s bid for the title, the news that Novak Djokovic would be out of the Paris Masters only aids his position.
After all, in one fell swoop two of the top four were expelled from the competition, leaving just the four-time Grand Slam champion and Alexander Zverev.
Everyone else in the competition who could potentially enjoy a run at the title will have fallen to Alcaraz at some point, with his ability to cause every player trouble immeasurable.
He is a born entertainer, with every shot possible within his repertoire.
Should he find a little bit of consistency and focus for the rest of the week, Alcaraz should score an easy triumph at this Masters 1000 event.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
