Austalia Open 2026: Alcaraz: “Sinner is from the mountains and I am from Murcia; the heat benefits me, I am not going to deny it” | Tennis | Sports

Wrapped in a black jersey with the Brazilian shield on the chest and calf-length baggy pants, Carlos Alcaraz, a soccer fan, conveys a wish: “Let’s see if some of the football sticks to me.” Beautiful Game… [de los Romario, Ronaldo o Ronaldinho]. Hopefully!” Before he left the conference room for the aside with the Spanish envoys, a reporter winked at his outfit and he smiled, “thanks“, at the same time that he quietly celebrated his move to the quarterfinals, after beating (in 2h 45m). He is satisfied.

“And if today I had to have played four sets, one more, I would have been too,” introduces the number one, unblemished in his journey in the tournament. “I was working on maintaining concentration throughout the match, and today I achieved it, playing at a very high level from start to finish. For me that has been even more important than saving energy, because I have plenty of energy. It was more about competing for almost three hours at maximum intensity,” extends the Murcian, who shortly after will meet Tuesday’s opponent – it will be the Australian Alex de Miñaur, sixth in the world – and knows what he is facing.

Beyond the dynamism and the proven quality of the aussieAlcaraz contemplated the day before the havoc wrought by the weather, cramped and, in the end, rescued by the regulations. The closing of the roof – as established by the rule, upon reaching level 5 (out of 5) on the scale – and the interruption of the match for almost a quarter of an hour rescued the Italian, whose muscles gave way against the 38º that fell on Melbourne. It wasn’t the first time. His greatest opponent usually suffers in the heat and humidity, and could well have said goodbye to the tournament.

“Yes, I saw it. I like to watch Jannik’s games, know how he is going and what is happening, thinking about a possible confrontation…”, he admits. Alcaraz says that he exercised for just over half an hour on Saturday and that he quickly realized that “playing an entire game in those conditions is brutal.” The scare of the transalpine (24 years old) and the stoppage of the match was the talk of the day, and in some cases the appropriateness or not of the application of the Heat Extreme Policy (Extreme Heat Policy). Specifically, the moment in which the referee decided to stop the duel and close the retractable cover of the Rod Laver Arena.

“I know that this rule came out this year, but I don’t know exactly what it says: if you can stop in even games, in odd games, or if that specific game should be played or not… I can’t get into that because I don’t know the rule in detail,” he points out. “What is clear is that, if it is a new rule and it is written like this, in the end it must be applied. In this case, Jannik benefited, as he himself said, but in another situation it could harm him,” continues the one from El Palmar, aware that it will be played under the same format, since the forecast anticipates around 43º for Tuesday’s matchday.

“You have to get used to everything. If the roof is closed, I will accept it,” he says. “And I will try to play my best indoor tennis. Whatever the situation, I will be prepared, focused and without thinking too much about it. I will try not to let my game be affected and that will be my mentality,” he adds. He has never played a match in that type of context in Melbourne – yes in New York, for example – but he clarifies that he has trained indoors these days and that allows him to get an idea. He then conveys that he does not care “too much” about playing the day or night shift, and talks about adaptation.

Strong and light

It debuted at 7:00 p.m. and the three subsequent games were at noon. “Tennis players have to adapt to all the circumstances: play during the day when it’s very hot, when it’s windy, when it’s cloudy, when it’s cold at night… And try to play our best tennis. We’ll see what time they play for us on Tuesday. If it’s at seven at night, perfect; if it’s during the day, too,” he says, sitting on the gray sofa. Already dark, the sun has tanned his skin, but for now it has not made a dent in his physique. It’s very fine. Light and compact at the same time. He has resolved the four matches without making a single concession – for the first time, in his fifth participation in Australia – and responds to EL PAÍS’ approach.

—To what extent can the heat and that physical factor be decisive from now on, in the remainder of the Open? Do you think this is Jannik Sinner’s real Achilles heel?

—Those games are complicated. I have played games in which I have had cramps and then physically I have noticed it in the days after, especially the next day: more load, more soreness… Putting too much intensity or too many hours into the body can end up taking its toll on you, especially at the beginning. But someone like Jannik has his team, he has everything measured to the millimeter, and I am sure that they do things well to arrive in top shape. He is from a very cold, mountain area, and I am from Murcia, very hot, so the warmer conditions benefit me, I am not going to deny it.

“Even so,” he concludes, “he has been on the circuit for a long time and has spent many summers here, so he has been adapting. It is true that sometimes it still costs him a little, and that can be something that can be taken advantage of.”