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Carlos Alcaraz turned self-critical after his shock defeat to Nicolas Jarry in the semifinals of the Argentina Open.
The World No. 2 went into the Argentina Open as the favorite to retain the title, which he won last year after beating Cameron Norrie in the final. For most of the tournament, it was plain sailing for the Spaniard as he reached the semifinals with relative ease after defeating Camilo Ugo Carabelli and Andrea Vavassori.
However, in the semis, the top seed's weaknesses were exploited by third seed Nicolas Jarry. The first set was an even affair, as Alcaraz and Jarry held their respective service games to take it to a tiebreaker. Here, the Chilean outclassed him, winning the first set 7-6(2).
The second set was a far more straightforward affair for Jarry as his decisive shot-making left Alcaraz wanting. Ultimately, the third seed, who had faced Alcaraz twice in 2023 and lost on both occasions, won the set 6-3 and ousted the defending champion.
Since clinching his second Major at last year's Wimbledon Championships, Alcaraz has failed to win any tournament he has participated in. After his latest loss, the Spaniard assessed his situation and said, via the official ATP Tour website:
"It is true that expectations are generated in me in the tournaments where I go... maybe people think that I have to win every match, but Jarry has a level that can beat anyone," Alcaraz said.
The 20-year-old also admitted to not learning from the mistakes he made in 2023.
"It's a shame to see that I haven't improved some things in my concentration since 2023. There's no other way, it's something pending, and my level of play is based on the level of attitude and energy I'm in."
Carlos Alcaraz will play at the Rio Open next before facing Rafael Nadal
Carlos Alcaraz will look to put the disappointment of the Argentina Open behind him soon, as he is set to start his Rio Open campaign on February 20 against Brazil's Thiago Monteiro. The top-seeded Spaniard narrowly missed out on the Rio Open title last year after losing to Cameron Norrie in a rematch of the 2023 Argentina Open final.
After the conclusion of the Rio Open, Alcaraz will head to Las Vegas, where he is scheduled to feature in an exhibition match against Rafael Nadal. Billed as the Netflix Slam, the exhibition match will be held at the MGM Resorts International on 3 March.
