Carlos Alcaraz arrived in Barcelona on Thursday, and he practiced at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell facilities for the first time this morning.
His session partner was Denis Shapovalov, a Canadian who is now ranked 30th and was Canada’s most recent Davis Cup champion. Alcaraz try to defend his title in the Barcelona Open 500 from tomorrow as the top seed. He won’t compete in the first round and will make his debut on Tuesday, October 18.
Carlitos will train on Saturday with Casper Ruud, the fourth-ranked player in the world, who he faced in the most recent US Open championship match and in which the ATP scepter was also on the line.
His coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, views practice sessions as the cornerstone of winning matches, and he constantly seeks out strong training partners.
The El Palmar tennis player’s schedule while visiting Barcelona is jam-packed. In addition to his two hours of training on Sunday, he has a photoshoot with one of his many sponsors, the American conglomerate Nike.
Carlos Alcaraz in 2023
Now the world no.2, the Spaniard played his last match on the 31st of March when he lost to world no.8 Jannik Sinner 6-7(4) 6-4 6-2 in the semifinal in Miami (draw).
Currently, during this season Alcaraz has achieved a 18-2 record. Alcaraz conquered 2 titles in 2023 in Buenos Aires and Indian Wells. Alcaraz reached the final in Rio de Janeiro.
He is also scheduled to play in Madrid (Mutua Madrid Open) on the 26th of April and Rome (Internazionali BNL d’Italia) on the 10th of May.
Denis Shapovalov in 2023
Now the world no.30, Denis played his last match on the 26th of March when he was overcome by world no.10 Taylor Fritz 6-4 6-4 in the 3rd round in Miami (draw).
This season the Canadian has achieved a 6-7 win-loss record.
He is also scheduled to play in Madrid (Mutua Madrid Open) on the 26th of April and Rome (Internazionali BNL d’Italia) on the 10th of May.
Carlos Alcaraz and Denis Shapovalov have never squared off.
