After an intense three-hour and forty-nine minute match against Novak Djokovic in the title match, Carlos Alcaraz returns to the Cincinnati Open one year later. He’s got more experience in his back pocket this time.

The Spaniard, who teamed Rafael Nadal in the men’s doubles at the Olympics in Paris, adds priceless expertise to Mason. The two were defeated by eventual silver medalists Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram of the United States in the quarterfinals.

“Talking with Rafa off the court and getting to know each other much better off the court was a terrific experience. Playing doubles with each other was undoubtedly a terrific experience. Alcaraz remarked, “It was fantastic,” at his Cincinnati press conference on Sunday. “It was definitely something I will never forget. Speaking with him both on and off the court taught me a lot. Even though we don’t typically play doubles, I think we played excellent tennis in that match.

“We were happy overall, but it was a little frustrating at the end because we thought we could have done it better. Speaking for myself, of course, I can say that playing doubles with Rafa fulfilled my goal.

Over his career, Nadal has received innumerable honors. The 38-year-old has won 36 ATP Masters 1000 trophies, 22 major titles, and 209 weeks at No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Alcaraz had the opportunity to learn from all of his experiences by picking the brain of his compatriot in Paris. Which of Nadal’s tips worked the best for him?

“How to handle specific circumstances when playing doubles. He would occasionally console me when we were having a bad day by saying things like, “Well, they are going to feel [it] with the pressure right now.” Alcaraz stated, “We just need to stay there, throw some balls in, and try to get them in trouble.” “He understands very clearly, off the court, how to prepare the matches or the difficult scenarios that you probably don’t notice or find difficult to see. The class [was] excellent.

Alcaraz won the silver medal in singles after falling to Djokovic in two tiebreakers to win the gold. Alcaraz, who won Wimbledon and Roland Garros this year, is eager to grow from that setback and keep pushing for and winning the greatest competitions.

The second seed, who has already won in Indian Wells and Miami, may win the entire American Masters 1000 series in Cincinnati.

“I always strive to improve. I always believed I could perform it more effectively. I had an amazing summer, of course, with Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and Olympic silver. Naturally, I was aiming for the gold medal, Alcaraz stated. “Whether I win or lose, I want to analyze my faults from the match to improve and try to avoid repeating my mistakes in shots or handling certain situations in the next match. That’s exactly what took place.

“I saw in the Paris final that I wasn’t able to handle the situations as well as I wanted, and just to be sure, that’s what I was thinking about after the match.”

ter, and probably being harder on myself.”