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Carlos Alcaraz has been in sensational form at the US Open this week, and his second round opponent Mattia Bellucci was warned of the Spaniard’s talent long before their latest encounter
Mattia Bellucci received a stark warning about Carlos Alcaraz‘s exceptional ability before their very first encounter on court. And the 24-year-old was brutally reminded of the Spaniard’s class five years later.
The Italian faced the daunting prospect of taking on Alcaraz in the second round of the US Open this week, and though Bellucci battled valiantly, he was comprehensively outclassed by the five-time Grand Slam winner. Alcaraz secured a commanding 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 victory to advance to the third round, where he will face Luciano Darderi.
The Spaniard – who claimed his maiden major at Flushing Meadows in 2022 – has history with Bellucci, having previously met him at an ITF tournament held at Rafa Nadal’s Academy in 2020. An 18-year-old Bellucci would face off against the then-16 year old Alcaraz for the very first time.
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Despite his inexperience, Alcaraz had already created ripples throughout the tennis community – something Bellucci discovered through a cautionary text from a friend.
Speaking to ATPTour.com this month, the world No. 65 disclosed: “A friend sent me a text message saying, ‘This guy is going to be very, very good.’
“I replied, ‘I don’t know this guy,’ because he was two years younger than me and I hadn’t played much in the juniors. So at the time, I didn’t know his name. He was 16 and I was 18. I went on court and played the first three games, and I thought to myself, ‘I may not win, but I can at least be competitive.’
“Then I lost. It was a very difficult match, and I didn’t expect it, but now I know him better!”
After defeating the Italian, Alcaraz proceeded to claim the title with a commanding 6-0, 6-2 triumph over Evan Furness in the final, reports the Express.
It required merely 65 minutes for Alcaraz to overcome the Frenchman in a tournament where he surrendered just one set. He’s undoubtedly fulfilled the expectations set upon him following his displays in Mallorca five years ago.
Beyond his five major titles, he also became the youngest man and the first male teenager in the Open Era to secure the world No. 1 ranking in 2022.
Scheduled to compete in his third round tie on Friday, Alcaraz has already exceeded his showing in New York last year where he was shockingly eliminated from the second round after losing in straight sets to Botic van de Zandschulp.
Alcaraz acknowledged that the defeat, whilst disappointing, enabled him to develop as a player as he said after his victory over Bellucci: “Well, right now it’s a good view, and I think it was really helpful for me. Back at that time, it wasn’t the worst thing I have ever done, if I’m honest.
“But yeah, looking back, I wanted just to improve from the experience that I have lived. I think when I lost in the second round, you know, last year, was one of those moments when I learned a lot how to deal with some situations, how should I have done things much better. I think I’ve just done it this year much, much better. So it was a great experience that I learned a lot from.”
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