Alcaraz began his campaign in the French city in winning manner Friday night, beating Chilean Nicolas Jarry 7-5 6-1 to progress to the last 16.
As a consequence of his first victory in Paris, Alcaraz has already gained ranking points after falling in the second round last year against Roman Safiullin.
And when speaking to media at the final Masters 1000 event of the season, Alcaraz explained to Tennis Majors how he is feeling different in 2024, “It’s always hard to compare your tennis year to year, but I am in a much better state mentally.
“I do want to play at my best level at this part of the season. It was difficult for me in 2023 to keep good mentally. It’s absolutely different now. I’m motivated to win this tournament, to produce fantastic outcomes. Last year the court was undoubtedly slower but it’s impossible to compare.”
Despite Alcaraz winning his opening match in Paris, the main news item of the day occurred when top seed Sinner withdrew from the event after disclosing that he had a viral ailment.