Carlos Alcaraz is finally heading back to competitive tennis at the 2025 Paris Masters after sitting out the last tournament in this elite series.
The 21-year-old Spanish star hasn’t played an official match since the Japan Open in Tokyo. Well, unless you count that exhibition in Riyadh, but that was more for show than serious competition.
After Tokyo, he had to withdraw from the Shanghai Masters because of an ankle injury. Smart move, really – he just wasn’t ready to jump back into another grueling tournament so quickly.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Alcaraz | 22 | 68,791 | 25 - 5 |
Even though he skipped Shanghai, Alcaraz still made the trip to Saudi Arabia for the Six Kings Slam exhibition. But Paris will mark his first real return to the ATP tour.
So how’s the recovery going? Pretty well, actually.
The 22-year-old explained that he’s been using this downtime strategically. He’s got a packed schedule ahead – the Paris Masters, ATP Finals, and Davis Cup Finals – so getting his body right was crucial.
"Obviously, I didn’t want to withdraw from Shanghai. It’s a really important tournament for me and for the players. But I had to heal my body, and I think I wasn’t ready to play another tournament in a row. So I just preferred to come back home, I recovered the ankle, and trying to be in good shape for this time of the year."
This isn’t just about the ankle, though. Alcaraz has struggled during this part of the season before.
"I think we could see last year, two years ago, that I’m not coming fresh to this time of the year. So I really wanted to put more attention on that, being in good shape, practicing well, and coming here, thinking that I can do a really good result. So right now, physically, I’m feeling good. I’m just practicing well, hitting the ball really well. So I just really want to see myself playing again here."
New venue brings slower courts
Here’s something interesting – this year’s Paris Masters has moved to a completely new location.
After nearly four decades at Paris-Bercy, the tournament has shifted to La Défense Arena for 2025. That’s a pretty big change for what’s traditionally the last Masters 1000 event of the season.
The big question? How would the courts play differently?
Well, Alcaraz has the answer now that he’s practiced there. The courts are actually slower than the old venue, which should suit his game perfectly.
"Well, I mean, this year is totally different than last year. I think it is a huge difference, which I like (smiling). The speed of the court, yeah, it’s much slower than last year, but I think it is a really good speed that we can see tennis, not only serve, or it’s not only serve plus one. So you can see rallies, you can see points, you can see tennis. So I think it’s great."
That’s great news for fans too. Instead of quick points dominated by big serves, we should see some proper rallies and longer exchanges.
"Obviously, I’ve said many times that I like slower courts, not that fast. But yeah, we will see. Yeah, obviously, this tournament is not my best one in terms of results, but I love playing here. The time of the year, it’s been long with the indoor. I’m not really used to playing indoors, but year after year, I think I’m getting more used to it. So we will see this year. Hopefully, go further than previous years."
Setting the record straight on indoor tennis
Let’s address the elephant in the room. Despite being a six-time Grand Slam champion, Alcaraz hasn’t exactly set the world on fire when it comes to indoor hard courts.
The ATP Finals, Davis Cup Finals, and Paris Masters – these indoor events just haven’t been his strongest showing. But he’s pushing back against the idea that he’s simply bad indoors.
"Well, I wouldn’t say I’m bad at playing indoors. I think other players are better than me on the indoor side. It’s a huge difference saying that. I see myself practicing, playing matches where I can play really good tennis, but obviously, there are some matches that I played against someone that they are playing much, much better indoors than I do."
Fair point. There’s a difference between struggling and just running into specialists who thrive in these conditions.
"So I have to be ready for that, but I think I will get good tennis on indoor. If I had to choose one between those three tournaments, you would get me in trouble (smiling). To be honest, I don’t know. It’s the big three tournaments that I have ahead. So, Turin, it’s a really important one for me, but obviously, the Davis Cup, playing with my teammates for my country, it’s a really special one."
With the slower courts in Paris and his improved physical condition, this could finally be Alcaraz’s chance to make a real statement in the indoor season. The timing feels right for a breakthrough.
