Carlos Alcaraz reveals how one important decision with family helped him overcome his emotional whirlpool before clay season

Carlos Alcaraz revealed how he prepared to be at his best ahead of the clay court season. The World No. 3 failed to defend his title in Indian Wells and faced a surprising second-round exit in Miami last month.

Alcaraz is in action at the 2025 Barcelona Open. He started his campaign with a remarkable straight-set win over Ethan Quinn 6-2, 7-6(6).

The Spaniard hit a lean patch last month but bounced back brilliantly to win the Monte-Carlo Masters. In an interview with Marca, he opened up on his approach to overcoming challenges and preparing for the clay court swing.

"Did you ever consider stopping playing?" the interviewer asked highlighting his early exit from the Miami Open.

Carlos Alcaraz answered:

"You think about a lot of things, and when something that hurt you is so recent, you never really put it into perspective. A lot of thoughts come to mind: stop, stop for a week, skip a tournament, stop for several months, keep training, take a vacation, and then train for what's next.

"A lot of thoughts came to mind, and one of the best things I did was take a few days off and give myself the opportunity to think clearly put things into perspective, and then make a decision from there."

Alcaraz entered the Miami Open after a modest semifinal finish in Indian Wells. Despite a valiant effort against David Goffin, the Belgian stunned him in the second round 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

After his short stint in Miami, the youngster took some time off court to spend with his family and friends. He shared his mindset during the mini-break and revealed how he tried to stay in shape ahead of the clay court swing.

"While I was on vacation, I asked my team to send me to training, to send me to training, because I didn't want to lose shape. Even if I was there for five days, I wanted to keep training and going to the gym. I wanted to prepare myself so that when I returned home I could train and that it wouldn't be difficult for me to start," Carlos Alcaraz said in the interview.

Alcaraz made his fifth appearance at the Miami Open this year. He is a former champion at the event and lifted the title in 2022. The youngster defeated Casper Ruud in the final.

Carlos Alcaraz will take on Laslo Djere in R2 of the Barcelona Open 2025

Alcaraz in action at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell 2025 - Source: Getty

Carlos Alcaraz will take on Laslo Djere in the second round of the Barcelona Open. He leads the head-to-head against the Serb 1-0 and defeated him at the 2023 Argentina Open.

While Alcaraz edged past Quinn in the first round, Djere picked up an excellent win over Arthur Rinderknech. He outclassed the Frenchman in three sets 6-7(2), 6-1, 6-2.

The winner between Alcaraz and Djere will take on either Jacob Fearnley or Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinal. The duo is scheduled to play on Thursday, April 17, 2025.