TENNIS: Ahead of Qatar Open, World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz says he still has ‘weaknesses'

World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz says he is still working on weaknesses in his game, even after completing all four Grand Slam titles at just 22, as he returns to action at the Qatar Open this week.

The Spaniard became the youngest man to achieve a career Grand Slam when he defeated 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 in the Australian Open final earlier this month, marking another milestone in one of tennis’ fastest-rising careers.

Ahead of his Doha campaign, where rivals including Jannik Sinner will be competing, Alcaraz said his main focus remains self-improvement as he looks to start strong after a break.

"Obviously I can see that I’ve had a lot of success so far, winning the biggest tournaments in the world," Alcaraz said on Sunday. "But I see myself with weaknesses. A lot of players are trying to catch up with me, studying my game, trying to beat me and challenge me. I have to be ready for that and assess where my level is."

Alcaraz added that understanding opponents’ strategies is key to staying ahead. "I have to put myself in their minds and think about what they could do against me. That’s why I say I have to improve some things. You cannot lag in level—you just have to keep progressing."

The top seed will open his tournament against Arthur Rinderknech, a player he has beaten in all four of their previous encounters. Despite that, Alcaraz is not taking any match for granted.

"I know how difficult every match is. Every match is different, and our styles are totally different. This is a tough draw for an ATP 500 tournament. I’m focusing on one match at a time, and we’ll see how far I can go," he said.

-Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus/Reuters