In Madrid, Alcaraz makes no secret of the fact: "I can't think of anything else but winning the title".

There's been a change of tune in the Carlos Alcaraz clan. The world number 3 arrived in Madrid in doubt. Beaten by Grigor Dimitrov in Miami (6-2, 6-4), the Spaniard, suffering from a right-arm injury, had not played since. After withdrawing from Monte-Carlo and Barcelona, the defending champion arrived at the Caja Magica under considerable pressure.

After two quiet victories (over Shevchenko and Seyboth Wild) and, above all, a mental victory over an excellent Struff in the last 16 (6-3, 6-7, 7-6), 'Carlito' raised his ambitions.

As he prepares to take on a rediscovered Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals, the Spaniard is not hesitating: he wants to retain his title: "At the start of the tournament, I signed up to play 3 or 4 matches, to see how I felt, to improve. The truth is that my feelings have been very good, very positive, and now we're thinking about moving forward.