Okay, so here’s a thing that happened. Side note: I’m not sure why I remember this so vividly, but here we are. Alcaraz was back in action, and it felt like one of those moments where you’re at a party but find yourself standing awkwardly by the guacamole. You just know something interesting is gonna go down. Anyway! This was his first appearance since that, let’s call it unspectacular, Miami Open mishap where things kind of unraveled more dramatically than a soap opera plot twist. Who knew tennis could be so emotionally charged, right?
Alcaraz? Yeah, he kicked things off with a bang, snatching the first serve break like it was an unattended cookie jar. But then, almost as if he realized he left the oven on, he suddenly dropped five out of the next six games. Boom, first set gone. And Cerundolo, the guy is a total wizard this season with 17 wins under his belt — might as well be pulling rabbits out of a hat.
Not to say that Alcaraz was just going to roll over; I mean, who does that at this level? No one. Especially not someone gunning for their sixth ATP Masters 1000 title. So, during the second set, Alcaraz had this moment. You know, those times when your brain’s like, “Hey, let’s level up!” And he just … did. He snagged two out of three break points faster than a midnight fridge raid, while Cerundolo couldn’t catch a break — literally, he missed all four of his chances.
As things rolled on, the wins kept stacking up for Alcaraz like a really satisfying game of Tetris. Five-game streak U.N.L.E.A.S.H.E.D. and Cerundolo? Poor guy was probably questioning reality right then. But hey, it’s tennis, not meditation class.
By the way, Alcaraz had this little redemption arc going in Monte Carlo after a forgettable match there in 2022 (let’s call it a “character-building experience”). He actually admitted to kinda messing things up in the beginning, saying something along the lines of, “I was all over the place, lots of mistakes happening. Had to flip the switch, be more aggressive, just do me.”
Oh, almost forgot! This dude is killing it on clay—13 out of the last 14 matches won. Clay’s apparently his jam right now as he gears up for defending his title at the French Open. Makes me wonder, is clay secretly everyone’s favorite surface? Or do I just like the messy bits?
Anyway, more clay dreams and less Miami nightmares, I guess.
