Carlos Alcaraz overcame a negative mindset to win his opening two matches at the Davis Cup.
The Spaniard returned to winning ways following a crushing second round defeat at the US Open in August.
Alcaraz defeated Tomas Machac who retired from their match in the third set due to injury and teamed up with Marcel Granollers to outlast Jakub Mensik and Adam Pavlasek in three sets.
But given his struggles since the Olympic Games, Alcaraz had to dig deep mentally to clinch those victories.
What challenges did Carlos Alcaraz overcome in his opening Davis Cup matches against Czechia?
Carlos Alcaraz spoke about overcoming struggles from a mental standpoint following his Olympic finals loss to Novak Djokovic and subsequent defeats in Cincinnati and the US Open.
The 21-year-old also spoke on having little time to reflect on his hectic summer which also included a French Open win and the successful defence of the Wimbledon title.
Alcaraz was desperate to get off to a winning start for Spain in the Davis Cup and though he was able to achieve that, he overcame the pressure of being the favourite and also the hangover from a disappointing campaign in New York.
“I needed it after the last few matches, as it wasn’t feeling very positive. I felt the extra pressure of being number one the first set,” Alcaraz said via ATP.com. “I wasn’t comfortable, but I had to stay positive. The Davis Cup is special and you always want to do well.”
He added: “I’m trying to take the positives from my time in the US and use them so I don’t make the same mistakes again, trying to progress on the mental side and to become increasingly mature. I was very motivated to be here, I’m looking forward to helping the team go as far as possible.”
Carlos Alcaraz helps Spain begin Davis Cup with a win
Alcaraz was determined to help Spain begin the Davis Cup with a victory and he did just that as they secured a 3-0 win.
After Mahac retired with the match at one set apiece, Spain went up 2-0 after veteran Roberto Bautista Agut defeated Jiri Lehecka.
They completed the clean sweep after Alcaraz and Granollers to outlast Mensik and Pavlasek 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-7(2).
The four-time Grand Slam champion will be back in group B action on Friday when Spain take on France.
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