Alcaraz emphasized the importance of rest: "I love tennis, but there have been too many consecutive tournaments."

Alcaraz recently spoke about needing to allocate time for family and friends, even though he loves tennis. As the ATP's current world number two, he is participating in the Cincinnati Open, which is his first tournament after his loss to Sinner in the Wimbledon final. Both he and Sinner have already qualified for the ATP Finals, and they will be in a heated battle for the year-end world number one position over the next few months.

On August 10 (Sunday), Alcaraz faced his first official match after losing to Sinner in the Wimbledon final. In this ATP Masters event, the Spaniard, seeded second in men's singles, received a first-round bye and then narrowly defeated Dzumhur 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 in his second-round match.

"This match felt like a rollercoaster," Alcaraz said. "There were many good feelings, some bad ones, and then I returned to a good state. I can only say that I'm glad to have won the match and to have another opportunity to improve. Tomorrow, I will work hard to regain my confidence, as today was a bit tricky. Dzumhur played very smart, and I need to focus and be prepared. I have a day off tomorrow to regain my confidence, hoping to perform better in the next round."

Statistics show that this Spanish player has achieved an impressive 12-match winning streak in ATP 1000 events, but his drop in performance during the second set raised concerns. Alcaraz made 44 unforced errors in his match against Dzumhur and failed to save any of the three break points he faced.

Alcaraz added, "Playing exceptional tennis here is challenging. The speed and float of the ball are quick, and you must be ready to position yourself correctly for every shot, which is very difficult. You must understand that there will be a few rallies, or even a few games, where you feel uncomfortable during a match, so it's essential to maintain a positive mindset in the right way. Winning this match has relieved me."

After the match, Alcaraz was interviewed by Prakash Amritraj from Tennis Channel. The five-time Grand Slam champion discussed how the long and intense schedule requires him to schedule rest periods.

"To be honest, I really enjoy giving myself some time. I've always said this is part of the reason you work hard, right? Of course, I love playing tennis and the moment I step onto the court, but sometimes there are too many consecutive days and weeks. So, I really enjoy resting at home with family and friends, doing nothing." Alcaraz stated.

Alcaraz also mentioned that rest helps him reboot and refocus on his tennis goals. He added regarding the weeks after leaving the court following the French Open and Wimbledon:

"For me, that’s how I become stronger and more eager to return to the court and pick up the racket again. After the French Open, I had a wonderful time in Ibiza, and when I returned for the grass season, I was in better shape, winning the Queen's Club title and reaching the Wimbledon final. Then I took a complete week off and went to southern Spain, which was fantastic. After that, I spent two weeks at home, which was simply incredible."

After defeating Dzumhur, Alcaraz will face Majchrzak in the third round, who has won his first two matches in straight sets.

Majchrzak eliminated the 26th seed Griekspoor in the second round, which is enough to keep Alcaraz on his toes in the third round. This will be their first meeting at the ATP tour level, and the winner will face the lucky loser Nardi or the 16th seed Moutet in the fourth round.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Spark)