Bruised but not broken: Carlos Alcaraz maps out clay run after loss to Jannik Sinner

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After winning the Monte-Carlo Masters last year, Carlos Alcaraz found himself struggling with fatigue.

That ended up costing him in the Barcelona Open final, and he also pulled out of the Madrid Open not long after.

This time around, with another deep run in Monte Carlo already under his belt, he’ll be looking to avoid a repeat of those issues from 2025.

Speaking to reporters after his match against Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz discussed how he plans to manage his schedule differently this season.

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Carlos Alcaraz shares his post-Monte-Carlo Masters plans

Speaking to reporters, Alcaraz shared a positive update for his supporters: “The main goal is to play the full clay season calendar.”

He went on to discuss the challenges involved and how he plans to manage his workload during what’s always a tough stretch on the tennis calendar.

Alcaraz said: “It was the goal last year as well, and unfortunately, I couldn’t because of an injury.

“So we’re touching good and praying that nothing is going to happen to my body. So I’m going to heal my body much better than last year for sure.

Alcaraz also hinted at being open to skipping tournaments if needed.

“If I’m going to skip one, I will skip one tournament. If my body stays healthy, I’m going to do whatever it takes to be healthy and take care of my body. And if I don’t have any problems, I will play everything on clay.

“Let’s see how it’s going to be in the next weeks. I don’t know how it’s going to be — the matches, if I’m going to win matches, if I’m going to lose in the first rounds, if the matches are going to be super demanding physically or not. So I don’t know how it’s going to be.

“But what I can tell right now is I will heal my body much better than last year for sure.”

Carlos Alcaraz faces a new challenge in the clay-court season this year

Alcaraz was barely tested during last year’s clay swing, breezing through most tournaments without much resistance on his way to several titles.

But one key figure was missing from the calendar in 2025: Sinner.

Sinner had been serving a three-month suspension and only managed to return for the final two events. By then, he wasn’t quite up to full speed or sharp enough to truly push Alcaraz.

This time around, though, the seven-time Grand Slam champion will have to deal with a fully fit and in-form Sinner. The Italian has shown clear improvement on clay over the past year and looks set to be a real factor throughout this season.

Alcaraz now has added motivation after dropping the world number one ranking following that defeat at the Monte-Carlo Masters. It’ll be interesting to see how he responds with more at stake and a real challenger back in the mix.

Read more:

• What the Barcelona Open could reveal about Jack Draper’s form on clay
• Andy Murray sounds off on conditions during the Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner Monte-Carlo final
• Back on the throne: Jannik Sinner reacts after toppling Carlos Alcaraz for world no.1