As the end of the ATP Tours draws to end, Carlos Alcaraz, Wimbledon Champion, world No. 2 still sits behind Novak Djokovic for the top spot. The Serbian leads by 2,830 points, but as Alcarez prepares to make his debut in Shanghai Rolex Masters and the tournament offers Alcaraz a chance to cut his deficit by 1,000 points with Djokovic not competing in the event.
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz has reached the semifinals or final at 12 of the 14 tournaments he has contested this season. And Alcaraz hopes to get his 2023 Shanghai Masters debut off to a scintillating start when he takes on World No. 73 Grégoire Barrère.
Carlos Alacraz discuses ‘main goal’
As Carlos Alcaraz prepares to make his Shanghai Rolex Masters debut this weekend, he has one target of note on his head – to aim for the top spot. Novak Djokovic leads at World No. 1 by 2,830 points, although Alcaraz earned 1480 points from the just concluded China Open. He now prepares to make his debut in Shanghai Rolex Masters, the tournament that offers Alcaraz a chance to cut his deficit by 1,000 points with Djokovic not competing in the event.
“Honestly, the tournaments that I have already had, I’m thinking about the No. 1, be able to earn the No. 1. For me, that’s the main goal for right now to the end of the season”, Alcaraz said in a pre-tournament press conference.
“Let’s see. But as well to learn, I’m going to say from the failures that probably I could experience. I learn from that and learning how can I be better every day or every practice that’s the main thing for me, but obviously, the No. 1 is on my mind as well”, Alcaraz said.
Alcaraz has reached the semifinals or better at 12 of the 14 tournaments he has contested this season. He opens his latest campaign against Gregoire Barrere in the second round. Shanghai’s main draw will be played over 12 days for the first time as part of the ATP’s calendar restructuring vision that began implementation this year.
Alcaraz debuts in Shanghai Masters against Gregoire Barrere
Carlos Alcaraz would begin his Shanghai Masters journey against Gregoire Barrere. Frenchman Gregoire Barrere reached the second round of the Shanghai Masters by defeating Portuguese Nuno Borges 6-2, 6-2 at the Qi Zhong Stadium.
Carlos Alcaraz has put together a career-best season in 2023, with a 61-8 win-loss record that included big titles at Wimbledon, Indian Wells and Madrid. The Spaniard, however, has played almost non-stop tennis since winning the Wimbledon title in July.
Barrère, meanwhile, has accumulated a 19-21 win-loss record on the ATP tour this year. The highlights of the Frenchman’s year came in January, when he beat the fast-rising Arthur Fils in Quimper to win the sixth Challenger title of his career.
The second-round match in Shanghai will be the first-ever career meeting between Carlos Alcaraz and Gregoire Barrere. So the big question certainly is who is going to have his first win?
