Carlos Alcaraz reveals the mid-match tweak he made to beat Tomas Mahac in the Davis Cup

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Carlos Alcaraz made a change mid-match that allowed him to turn the tables against Tomas Machac in the Davis Cup.

The Spaniard is back in action after a poor North American hard court swing swing that produced just one victory.

Alcaraz, 21, is back representing his country for the first time since the agony of losing the Olympic final to Novak Djokovic.

Wednesday’s contest also marked his first Davis Cup match since September 2022 but he was made to work hard for his win.

What did Carlos Alcaraz do to defeat Tomas Mahac in the Davis Cup?

Carlos Alcaraz was looking to return to winning ways after suffering a shocking second round defeat at the US Open to Botic van de Zandschulp.

He began his group stage match against Czechia’s Machac by losing the first set on a tiebreak, but he soon began to get a foothold in the match.

Alcaraz turned the tables and claimed the second set 6-1, but before the deciding set could truly get going, Machac returned from the contest due to injury.

Explaining how he was able to win the second set in such dominant fashion, Alcaraz said: “I think after a really difficult and tough first set, I knew that I had to stay tough, stay positive and play long rallies.

“I think he played more matches in the American swing. He played tough matches in New York. Then coming here, different conditions, different everything. It’s difficult to get used to.”

Roberto Bautista Agut’s victory over Jiri Lehecka meant Spain took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the tie and will next compete against France on Friday.

Carlos Alcaraz delighted to be playing the Davis Cup again

Alcaraz experienced the most difficult period of his career this summer following his Olympics defeat and early losses in America.

Perhaps returning home to play the Davis Cup is exactly what the World number three needed to help get his season back on track.

The player was thrilled to be back playing at home and he said post-match: “Honestly it’s a special feeling for me playing here in Valencia at the Davis Cup. I missed it last year. As I said many times, the schedule in tennis is really tight.

“There are a lot of tournaments I love to play. But sometimes I can’t do it. Last year this was the case for me. Missing the Davis cup. But this year I’m really excited about it. It’s a really special feeling for me.”