CARLOS Alcaraz’s reign as world No. 1 began with a 7-5, 6-3 defeat to David Goffin at the Astana Open on Tuesday and the Spaniard said he would have to learn how to play against opponents who dial up the pressure and aggression.
Alcaraz, the youngest player to top the men’s world rankings, was broken five times by lucky loser Goffin.
“He played better than me, really, really aggressive,” said 19-year-old Alcaraz, who won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open last month.
“I couldn’t handle that pressure that he was pushing on me and of course, it’s something that I have to learn and take lessons from this match.
“Coming back to competition is never easy. He played two matches here on this court. It’s not easy to get used to, it’s really, really slow. It was really tough on me, for my confidence,” Alcaraz added. — Reuters
