Carlos Alcaraz outlines targets for next season ahead of 2022 Australian Open after winning AS Promise Award
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Published 20/12/2021 at 14:48 GMT
Carlos Alcaraz had a year to remember as he won his first title on the ATP Tour, made the quarter-finals of the US Open and beat three top-10 players. He has won the AS Promise Award in recognition of his arrival among the sport's elite, and has spoken about his goals for 2022 and how he plans to keep moving forward.
Carlos Alcaraz
Image credit: Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz hopes to build on his breakthrough season by getting into the top 15 in the world in 2022.
The 18-year-old had a year to remember as he won his maiden ATP Tour title, reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final, beat three top-10 players, and won the Next Gen Finals in Milan.
He finished the season as No 32 in the world rankings.
"This year was the breakthrough," he said after receiving the AS Promise Award in recognition of his arrival among the sport's elite.
"I hope it is the start of something big. I'm going to keep this award high up in my room at home. I'm happy my work in all the previous years is being recognised."
Alcaraz won the first ATP title of his career in Umag before a strong finish to the year saw him beat world No 3 Stefanos Tstisipas at the US Open, world No 7 Matteo Berrettini in Vienna and world No 10 Jannik Sinner in Paris.
He says he has not had much time off during the winter as he eagerly looks ahead to next season.
"I'm clear about my direction. I've only had two or three days of holiday, and one week without picking up a racquet.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2021/11/14/3253797-66593213-2560-1440.jpg)
'I'm incredibly happy' - Alcaraz on winning ATP Next Gen Finals in Milan
“In 2022 I'm going to aim high and hope to break into the top 15. I might even try and qualify for [the ATP Finals in] Turin. It's a difficult goal, but it's good at the end of the season."
Alcaraz recently said that his main focus was ensuring he took another step forward in 2022.
“For me, a disappointment would be to fall into the same things that I have fallen into this year, to repeat the things that I have been doing wrong, not to grow, to remain stagnant, that would be a great disappointment for me,” he told Puntobreak.
“Personally, I think I have to keep growing, anything that wasn't going that way would be bad news. In terms of ranking, finishing top 15 is a good mark, although I know that it is very difficult to advance now, but it is an ambitious challenge.”
Alcaraz is the third tennis player to win the AS Promise Award after Paula Badosa (2015) and Alejandro Davidovich (2017).
- - -
Stream the 2022 Australian Open live and on-demand on discovery+.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement