Alcaraz's Coach Confirms Clay Court Season Plans Ahead of French Open

After a difficult time at the Miami Open, Carlos Alcaraz is focusing on an extensive clay court season. The Spanish tennis player enjoyed an impressive clay court season last year, winning the Monte Carlo Masters, the Italian Open, and Roland Garros.

Alcaraz is set to arrive in Monte Carlo on April 3rd, preparing to bounce back from the Miami Open and defend his title. His coach, Samu Lopez, has revealed the player's plans for the coming months.

Alcaraz has a packed schedule following the Monte Carlo Masters, and Lopez has explained the reasons behind the volume of events. "Okay, so initially we're going in with the mindset of playing everything, you know? Playing the whole tour," said Lopez.

Lopez comments that the Masters 1000 events are not as physically intense as when Rafa (Nadal) was playing every day. He also adds that they can be even more mentally demanding because there is no real switch off during the ten days of competition, as long as you last.

Alcaraz will participate in tournaments in Barcelona, Rome, and Madrid before Roland Garros, with special motivation in each of them, according to Lopez. "In between, there's the Barcelona Open, which Carlos always has a special motivation to go there. This year, last year I couldn't go to Madrid, but of course, he has a special motivation to go to Madrid, and then there's Rome, which he won last year, it's the last one," Lopez explained.

Lopez indicated that Alcaraz's early exit in Miami is, in part, the reason for the extensive clay court schedule. "The idea is to go to all of them, you know? If Monte Carlo had gone well, if it had gone better in Miami, we probably would have ruled it (Monte Carlo) out. Monte Carlo is going to be a bit of a tune-up tournament," he added.

Alcaraz faces increased pressure during the clay court season, as Jannik Sinner is breathing down his neck in the race for the world number one. If Sinner wins the Monte Carlo Masters, he will reach the top of the ATP Tour, surpassing Alcaraz.

Alcaraz's coach, Samu Lopez, has outlined the path forward for the Spanish tennis player, aiming to maintain his position at the top of the world of tennis.

Despite not being his favorite surface, Alcaraz holds an impressive record on clay. The two-time Roland Garros champion has a 103-19 win-loss record on this surface, which equates to an 84% win rate.

This successful history includes 11 ATP Tour titles on clay, including the three Masters events on this surface. Alcaraz hopes to replicate the success of 2025 to defend his position against Sinner at the top of the ATP rankings.