
Homa: Antics like Garcia's are 'bad look' for golf
Max Homa criticizes Sergio Garcia's club-breaking incident as a 'bad look' for golf.
Carlos Alcaraz anticipated losing the world number one ranking to Jannik Sinner in Monte Carlo, a prediction that came true. Former ATP player Sam Querrey commented on Alcaraz's foresight regarding the ranking change.
Photo by Chris Arjoon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz handed over the world number one spot to Jannik Sinner in Monte Carlo, but it didnāt come as a shock.
Alcaraz even predicted the switch ahead of time. After his opening win in Monte Carlo, he mentioned that he expected Sinner to take over the top spot soon enough.
Former ATP pro Sam Querrey has since weighed in on those remarks, sharing his perspective on what Alcaraz had to say.
Photo by Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images
Speaking on the latest episode of āNothing Majorā, Querrey explained why he was struck by Alcarazās comments.
āI thought it was cool that before the tournament they interviewed Carlos [Alcaraz] and he acknowledged he was going to lose the number one ranking at some point,ā Querrey said.
He added: āWhether that was Monte Carlo or some point during the clay court season, he knows basically that he has too many points to defend.
ā[Jannik] Sinner does not have any.ā
Querrey also noted that Alcarazās openness stood out compared to how other top players approached similar situations.
āI never remember Rafa [Nadal], Roger [Federer], or Novak [Djokovic] saying that. He was basically just like Iām okay with it.ā
Querrey went on to suggest this mindset sets Alcaraz apart from his predecessors. āI feel like that checks out for Carlos too,ā he said. āWhen I watch him play matches, I feel like he is okay with losing.ā
Alcaraz might look to take advantage of that relaxed approach when play gets underway at the Barcelona Open. With Sinner taking a break this week, a win for Alcaraz in his home event would put him back on top of the rankings.
The question now is: who will stand in his way as he tries to reclaim his spot at number one?
Alcaraz opens his campaign against Otto Virtanen, a Finnish qualifier ranked 130th in the world.
Virtanen hasnāt yet recorded a main draw win on the ATP Tour this season and will be up against it facing one of the sportās top players.
If Alcaraz moves past that test, heāll face either Sebastian Baez or Tomas Machac in the second round.
Both are capable opponents, but Alcaraz will be favoured to progress without major issues.
The quarter-finals could see him meet Russiaās Andrey Rublev, who has shown quality on clay before but struggled at Monte Carlo recently.
If things go to plan, a semi-final matchup with Alex de Minaur could be next. The Australian reached the quarters in Monte Carlo but hasnāt had any success against Alcaraz in their previous meetings.
A win there might set up a final against Lorenzo Musetti, Karen Khachanov, or Arthur Fils ā all strong players who could present challenges if theyāre playing well.
If Alcaraz finds anything close to his best form, though, he should have enough to come through and lift the trophy again. For now, though, his focus is firmly on Virtanen and getting off to a good start when he plays his first-round match on Tuesday 14 April.
Read more:
Carlos Alcaraz lost the world number one ranking to Jannik Sinner during the Monte Carlo tournament.
Carlos Alcaraz predicted that Jannik Sinner would take over the top spot soon, which he did after Alcaraz's opening win in Monte Carlo.
Sam Querrey is a former ATP pro who commented on Carlos Alcaraz's foresight regarding the ranking change, highlighting the significance of Alcaraz's statement.
Jannik Sinner became the world number one during the Monte Carlo tournament, following Carlos Alcaraz's prediction of the ranking switch.

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