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Tennis

Carlos Alcaraz’s Bid for Year-End No. 1 Demolished with a Loss at Paris Masters

Carlos Alcaraz's quest to finish the year at no. 1 in the ATP rankings has been a joy to watch, but it came to an abrupt end in Paris. The Spanish tennis player suffered a shocking loss in the second round of the Paris Masters, clearing the path for Novak Djokovic to end the year at no. 1. Alcaraz had high hopes for the Paris Masters, but his dreams were demolished in the second round by the 45th-ranked Roman Safiullin. He easily defeated the Spaniard in just two sets, 6-3 6-4, scoring the biggest win of his career by ranking. 2023 has been a great year for Alcaraz, who scored the second Grand Slam title of his career at Wimbledon. He ended the last year at no. 1 in the ATP rankings, becoming the first teenager in history to do so, but it’s unlikely he’ll repeat that success this year following the Paris Masters defeat. Alcaraz said he has “a lot of things to improve” following his loss in Paris, and he’s hoping he’ll do better at the upcoming ATP Finals. “I have time before the ATP Finals, a lot of days of practice to be able to reach that level, the level that I want to play. Honestly after the loss, I have to take some time before thinking about the next days… But obviously before the ATP Finals begin, we have time,” said Alcaraz.