"Have had a few days rest after many weeks playing" - Carlos Alcaraz focused on China Open following US Open SF exit

The 2023 season has been a long journey already for Carlos Alcaraz with lots of ups and downs, the latest disappointment being the one in New York. Alcaraz failed to defend his US Open title courtesy of a 6-7(3), 1-6, 6-3, 3-6 loss to Daniil Medvedev in the semifinal.

The World No. 2 subsequently opted out of Spain's Davis Cup squad.

Alcaraz missed the Australian Open in January 2023 due to a hamstring injury but returned to the court the following month to win the Argentina Open by outlasting Cameron Norrie in the final. He continued with his brilliant form in the next tournament, the Rio Open, but Norrie avenged his Argentina loss in the summit clash.

In March, the 20-year-old lifted the Indian Well Masters trophy by defeating Medvedev in the final. But Alcaraz failed to defend his title at the Miami Open. Going forward, he didn't start his clay-court campaign at the Monte Carlos Masters in April, however, reclaimed his thrones at the Barcelona Open and Madrid Open.

The Italian Open was a disappointing outing for the youngster as he failed to reach any farther than the third round. He showed promise during the French Open but cramped out of the tournament with a loss to Novak Djokovic in the semifinal.

Alcaraz then lifted his first-ever trophy on grass as he downed Alex de Minaur in the summit clash at the Queen's Club Championships and has been a constant on the court since his Wimbledon glory in July. He made deep runs into the Canadian Open (quarterfinal) and Cincinnati Masters (final) tournaments and entered the 2023 US Open as the top seed.

Recently, Carlos Alcaraz shared an update on social media announcing his readiness for the upcoming Asian Swing after a brief break.

"I have had a few days rest after many weeks playing! Looking back and remembering the @usopen, one of my favorite tournaments and an incredible atmosphere! Can't wait to go back next year, to see all the fans and the family at the @newyorkpalace! Now it's time to focus on the Asian swing," he wrote.

The 20-year-old is scheduled to compete at the China Open starting on September 28 in Beijing. He would then travel to Shanghai for the city's Masters 1000 event.

"I have to listen to my body" - Carlos Alcaraz on Davis Cup withdrawal

Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz defended his decision to withdraw from the Davis Cup Finals saying that he needed some downtime.

“I was very excited to play for [Spain] at Davis [Cup] in Valencia, but I have to listen to my body after a very long tour. I need to stop and rest, physically and mentally. The calendar is very demanding, there is still a lot of season left, and now I have to recharge my batteries.

He was replaced by Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the Spanish Davis Cup squad. Carlos Alcaraz's absence, however, hurt Spain's campaign as they failed to qualify for the Final 8 stage of the tournament from Group C.