Carlos Alcaraz wants to follow a precise strategy in 2026

Carlos Alcaraz’s year 2025 was marked by a number of unforgettable moments, which reaffirmed the status of this young champion, who was destined to write tennis history. The four-time Grand Slam champion struggled early in the season and struggled to produce his best tennis, but his attitude changed dramatically after his untimely defeat at the Miami Open in the spring. The 22-year-old from Murcia understood what he had to do to finally gain that continuity that he has often lacked in the past and his results since April have been sensational, projecting him to the first position in the ATP rankings.

He triumphed at Roland Garros and the US Open and played probably the best tournament of his entire career in terms of consistency. Carlitos – who had already triumphed in New York in the 2022 edition – lost only one set during his run, beating his main rival Jannik Sinner in the final.

Alcaraz’s level has also improved in indoor conditions as the world number 1 reached the final of the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin for the first time ever. That result saw the Spanish star withstand Sinner’s onslaught by ending the year at the top of the ATP rankings for the second time in his career.

Carlitos has started preparations for 2026

The six-time Grand Slam champion – who played a few exhibition matches in the United States in early December – has started preparing for next season and will not play any official tournaments before the Australian Open, which starts in Melbourne on January 18.

Meanwhile, Carlos’ 2026 schedule is slowly being determined and he appears intent on making the same choices as this year. For the time being, his presence at the Rotterdam ATP 500 (where he lifted the trophy in 2025) and Barcelona ATP 500 (where he was defeated in the final this year by Holger Rune) has been announced.

The champion from Murcia will mainly have to defend himself against Sinner, who will do his best to return to number 1 in the world.