World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, on Saturday, was seen visibly fuming during his intense training session for the US Open, which begins on Sunday in New York.
Alcaraz, a former champion at Flushing Meadows, was unhappy with the lack of privacy during his practice session at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre.
In the viral video on social media, Alcaraz erupted in fury as he pointed his finger at one of the cameras. He was seemingly upset at the recording of his training session and expressed his displeasure to his team.
Unfortunately, the US Open is the only Grand Slam where players face the challenge of having privacy on practice courts.
Alcaraz will begin his campaign in New York on Tuesday against world No. 66 Reilly Opelka at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. This will be his first appearance at the iconic venue since his shock second-round exit last year against Dutchman Botic Van de Zandschulp.
Speaking of the American during a press conference in New York, Alcaraz said: “It will be very difficult facing Opelka for the first time. We all know his style of play, so I will have to be very attentive to my return and try to return as many serves as possible. The key will be to find rhythm in the match, play the points well from the back when he allows me to, and stay focused . My confidence is high right now; I feel good on the court, comfortable with the balls, so it’s just a matter of being prepared.”.
The 22-year-old heads into the tournament with a Tour-leading 54 wins and six titles this season, including the French Open. More recently, he won the Cincinnati Open title, after rival Jannik Sinner was forced to retire during the first set in the final.
” This year is very different. I’ve had more time to rest, disconnect, and recharge. I was able to spend two weeks at home training, which gave me an extra boost of happiness and motivation before heading to Cincinnati,” the 2023 US Open champion said.
” I feel much more prepared than last year, when everything was much tighter and there were no days off between tournaments,” he added.