Carlos Alcaraz has acknowledged how his rivals are hot on his tail ahead of his ATP Qatar Open 2026 campaign. He returns to action for the first time since completing the Career Grand Slam by winning the Australian Open last month.
Alcaraz’s duopoly with Jannik Sinner has established the duo as the top dogs on the ATP Tour. However, one can say that the Spaniard has pulled ahead thanks to his recent triumph in Melbourne. When confronted with that possibility during his press conference at the Qatar Open, he gave due credit to his all of his peers.
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Despite his considerable success over the years, Alcaraz doesn’t intend to rest on his laurels. He knows that his rivals are constantly working hard to figure out a way to stop him.
“Obviously I can see myself that [I have had] a lot of success so far, winning the biggest tournaments in the world. But I just see myself with weaknesses. A lot of players, I know that they’re trying to catch me up in terms of they are studying my game, they study how I play, trying to beat me, trying to challenge me,” Alcaraz said.
Alcaraz is quite conscious of the threat posed by his rivals. He knows that he can’t be caught slacking, and is putting in the work to improve his own game all the time.
“I have to be ready for that, and I have to see where my level is, where my tennis is. I have to try to put myself in their minds and think what they could do when playing against me. So that’s what I mean about saying I have to improve some things. Obviously, you cannot be lagging in the level, you just have to keep it going,” Alcaraz said.
Alcaraz will be keen to continue his unbeaten start to the year. He was due to compete in Rotterdam last week but pulled out citing fatigue following his taxing Australian Open run. Now that he is well-rested, he will be vying to claim his second title of the season.
Carlos Alcaraz to begin his campaign at the Qatar Open 2026 against Arthur Rinderknech
Carlos Alcaraz will take on Arthur Rinderknech in the first round of the Qatar Open 2026 on Tuesday, February 17. The Spaniard leads their rivalry 4-0, and won their previous meeting at the US Open 2025 in straight sets.
Alcaraz will meet the winner of the all-French showdown between Valentin Royer and Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the second round. A quarterfinal date with seventh seed Karen Khachanov could be on cards after that, followed by a potential semifinal with fourth seed Daniil Medvedev.
Second seed Jannik Sinner is likely to be Alcaraz’s opponent in the final. It would be the first meeting between the pair this season. Sinner won their previous contest at the ATP Finals 2025, beating his younger rival to win the title.
Edited by Rohit
