Carlos Alcaraz shifted his focus to the playing surface at the Paris Masters after his surprising defeat to French star Ugo Humbert.
Humbert entertained the Bercy crowd, overwhelming Alcaraz in the first set with a score of 6-1. Although Alcaraz fought back, Humbert ultimately won the match 7-5 in the deciding set.
The reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion criticized the quick court conditions, marking his continued struggle at the Paris Masters. Alcaraz noted that he once went two years without winning a match at this tournament.
He described the court as the “fastest on tour” and expressed confusion over the tournament organizers’ decision. Alcaraz said, “I don’t want to make excuses. Ugo deserves to win, that’s obvious. But I played on slower indoor courts at the Davis Cup.”
He continued, “When I played my first match, the stats showed this is the fastest court in the Masters 1000, probably on tour right now. This is crazy. I don’t understand why they changed the court conditions so much compared to other tournaments and even past years here.”
Alcaraz admitted he might have needed more time to adjust, saying, “I probably should have come earlier to get used to these conditions, but I didn’t. Honestly, I just don’t understand why they did it.”
Humbert reached the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters for only the second time in his career. He will face Australian player Jordan Thompson next.
Alcaraz praised Humbert for effectively using the home crowd and adapting to the court conditions. When asked about Humbert’s performance, Alcaraz said, “Not really. It is difficult to play in these conditions.”
He added, “I try to adapt my game to the speed of the court. I thought it suited my style, but it didn’t. Playing against someone like Ugo, who doesn’t allow you to find your rhythm, is tough. He plays flat and at 100 percent.”
Alcaraz noted the difference between practice and match play, stating, “I practice at home, but it isn’t the same. I’m not surprised about my level or my game, but I am surprised about everything a little bit.”
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