Carlos Alcaraz sure seems to be making the best out of the fact that neither Nadal nor Djokovic seem to be healthy. The Spanish youngster defended his Madrid title with ease. Curiously, it was two players outside of the top 20 that pushed him to three sets – first Ruusuvuori in the round of 64 and then Struff in the final.

Other than those two three-setters, it was routine cruising for Alcaraz who outplayed all seeded players that were put in front of him, dispatching Dimitrov (26), Zverev (13), Khachanov (10) and Coric (17). Not a bad week in Madrid.

Alcaraz now takes his talents to Rome before the final stop of the clay court season at the French Open. He will be the clear favorite, regardless of either the participation of Nadal or Djokovic.

Here’s some interesting storylines from this week of tennis at Madrid.

Tsitsipas is supposed to be one of the best clay court players in the world. He is not looking like one right now. He lost to Struff at this tournament and was beaten easily by Alcaraz in Barcelona and by Fritz in Monte Carlo. Let’s see if he can regroup before the French.

It was nice to see Karatsev do well at an important tournament. He has not been posting very good results as of late and is at risk of going into tennis oblivion again. This result should give him the confidence booster he needs to get back to the top 20 in the world.

Djokovic and Nadal are shooting to be ready for the French Open. If they indeed can work themselves into the draw, they’ll have to contend with a very healthy and otherworldly Alcaraz. Can it be possible that they both get blown out by the Spanish sensation?

As we head to Rome and the French Open, there’s only one player tennis fans around the world want to see, and that’s Carlos Alcaraz. He’s exciting, athletic, talented, youthful, and relentless. Every point can turn into a highlight reel like you’ve never seen before. Let’s sit back and enjoy the show.

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