World No.2 Carlos Alcaraz retained the title at the Masters 1000 in Madrid but suffered for a long time against German Jan-Lennard Struff, 65th and lucky loser, finally defeated 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 on Sunday.
Alcaraz, 20 years old for two days, thus won the tenth title of his young career, his fourth in Masters 1000, and his fourth of the season, after Buenos Aires, Indian Wells and Barcelona.
Three weeks before Roland-Garros (May 28-June 11), the young Spaniard has accumulated 19 victories in twenty matches on clay in 2023. On the European ocher, he is even undefeated: from Barcelona to Madrid, he has just align eleven successes. His only defeat on the surface dates back to February, in the final in Rio, against Briton Cameron Norrie.
In total, Juan Carlos Ferrero’s protege, injured for the Australian Open and who started his season late in February, has 29 wins for only two losses in 2023.
“Carlitos” finds himself very close to becoming world No.1 again: back on the heels of Novak Djokovic on Monday, he will only need to play a match at the Masters 1000 in Rome next week to be sure of settling back on the throne of world tennis at the end of the Italian tournament. Alcaraz had not played in Rome a year ago, when Djokovic won there.
Struff, the first lucky loser to make it to the Masters 1000 final, however, jostled Alcaraz like no one since the start of the European clay season, with ultra offensive tactics: service and volley galore behind his first overpowered ball and aggressiveness maximum on return.
But the winner of the US Open 2022 did not give in to visible frustration and ended up finding the key to winning after almost two and a half hours of duel.
At 33, Struff leaves the Spanish capital certain to climb to the best ranking of his career on Monday, 28th.
