Alcaraz relaxed ahead of Monte-Carlo: "I realize tennis is just a game, and you have to enjoy it to the fullest"

Carlos Alcaraz is kicking off his clay-court season. The Spaniard, last year's Roland-Garros champion, is looking to make a strong start at the Monte-Carlo Masters 1000.

The world No. 3 will face Francisco Cerundolo for a spot in the round of 16. Alcaraz has won both of their previous encounters, the most recent being at Indian Wells just a few weeks ago.

Before stepping onto the Monaco clay this Wednesday, Alcaraz gave an interview to ATP media, where he discussed the expectations surrounding him—especially since becoming the youngest world No. 1 in tennis history when the ATP rankings were introduced in 2022.

"Sometimes, it's tough to handle the expectations because you might feel like you're not good enough or that what you've achieved was a surprise or something like that.

You have to stay mentally strong and keep believing in yourself all the time. Every week, I’m just grateful to have my team reminding me that I’m still a great player.

I realize that, for me, tennis is just a game, and you have to enjoy it as much as possible. That’s something really important to me—you have to keep that in mind," Alcaraz said.