While Carlos Alcaraz does not stop signing autographs after the victory, the expectation moves to the pool of the Reial Club de Tenis de Barcelona (RCTB), where some thirty ball boys wait for the Murcian to take the traditional bath of the tournament champion for second time in a row. All of them, members of the club, sing and dance after more than ten days of competition and after the protagonist has successfully beaten Stefanos Tsitsipas (6-3 and 6-4) in the final episode.
But Alcaraz’s dip is hard to come by. Claimed over and over again, the Murcian attends to the requests and in the end ends up ahead of more than thirty friends and family, who stand in a corner of the pool and focus their mobile phones on the entrance hall to register the winner’s jump .
Juan Carlos Ferrero chats with the tennis player’s parents and his friends try to throw his brother Álvaro into the water, while his grandfather —also called Carlos— emotionally witnesses the sequence. They are the group of people who know the man from El Palmar best and who try to support him every time they get the chance. On this occasion, the geographical factor has helped.
“This is the special thing about playing at home. I feel very lucky to share these moments with them; They are friends that I have had since I was 10 years old and who have a close bond with my family”, assures the champion, who finally bursts in, picks up a run and flies acrobatically to the cry of those close to him: “Long live Murcia!”. Once the pool party is over, Alcaraz attends to the journalists. He makes him happy, after being crowned again in Pedralbes and also without giving up a single set.
tension the night before
“I have maintained concentration, I have not lowered it one bit during the entire game. From the beginning to the end. I have imposed my rhythm ”, she introduces, while clarifying:“ It has not been as easy as people may believe because I have entered with a lot of nerves; last night he was tense. It has not been easy by any means, but I have managed to overcome my nerves”.
With nine titles already on the record, the Murcian is far from thinking of lifting his foot off the accelerator. “It has been a wonderful week, but now we are going with everything to Madrid; I think I can win every tournament I go to. I am a very ambitious boy who always wants more, I am always looking for more, ”he recalls.
Always compared to Rafael Nadal, he assures that he wants to write his own story, without the need for parallels. “I don’t want to take over from anyone, I’m not here to take over from anyone”, he emphasizes before concluding with a forceful message towards Paris, the ultimate goal of this tour on clay. “Anything can happen in these weeks, but Roland Garros is a clear short-term goal. It is a tournament that I really want to win, but right now we are focused on Madrid and Rome. Having won here gives me extra confidence ”, he settles.
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