Beaten by Rublev in Madrid quarter-final, Alcaraz confides: "I should have been mentally stronger".

Against all expectations, Carlos Alcaraz fell on Wednesday. The two-time title-holder, the Spaniard, will not complete a hat-trick of titles at the Caja Magica. Faced with a Rublev in his prime (27 winners, 13 unforced errors), the Spaniard was unable to find a solution (4-6, 6-3, 6-2). In the space of two days, it was Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz who went out of the door in Spain.

When asked about this surprise defeat, the 20-year-old, who was not at his best physically, confessed his disappointment: "It hurts to lose, to have chances and not take advantage of them. I've got a bit of a cold. I woke up with stiffness all over my body. I don't want to take credit away from Rublev's match, but it was a tough one for me. I was a bit weaker mentally than at other times. I was more of a complainer. Someone like Rublev leaves you few opportunities, and if you miss them, it hurts. I should have been stronger mentally." (comments relayed by L'Equipe).

Despite the disappointment, 'Carlito' was keen to remain positive given the circumstances. Back from injury in Madrid, the Spaniard has put together a string of four good matches and is feeling better physically: "It's been a very positive week. A day before the tournament started, I didn't know if I was going to be able to play, and I reached the quarter-finals. Playing several matches at a good level is also positive. [...] Today, I felt more pain in my forearm than in yesterday's match (victory over Struff 6-3, 6-7, 7-6). But having played for three hours the day before, I knew I was going to feel something, or think about it even more. At the end of the match, I sliced my forehand a bit more. I'm going to have to work hard over the next few days to get to 100%, or at least in good shape for Rome. It'll be a slow process, I suppose. I'll have to be patient. But I think I'll be able to go to Rome."

The world number 3, who could lose his place on the podium this week, was also keen to pay tribute to Andrey Rublev, who played a full match: "He was very good today and his serve was incredible. I couldn't push him into a corner and he was often able to hit the ball into a good position. And against a player like Rublev, if he hits the ball in a good position, it's almost impossible to win points."