World number two Carlos Alcaraz came back from a break down in the second set to defeat Ethan Quinn 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) and reach the Barcelona Open last 16 on Tuesday.
World number two Carlos Alcaraz took aim at his critics on Monday after winning the Monte Carlo Masters at the weekend.
Carlos Alcaraz won his first Monte Carlo Masters title on Sunday with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 victory over the Italian Lorenzo Musetti.
The fifth-ranked Djokovic struggled to find his rhythm in a 6-3, 6-4 loss to Chilean Alejandro Tabilo in the second round, making an inauspicious start to his clay season.
Carlos Alcaraz said Sunday that the pressure to reclaim the world number one ranking from the suspended Jannik Sinner has had a negative impact on his form this season.
The Spaniard world number three, speaking ahead of the Miami Open, said he had not been given any notice of the legal case from the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA) or the strongly-worded statement issued on Tuesday.
A four-time Grand Slam champion, Alcaraz said he was too focused on what weapons British left-hander Jack Draper might bring and unable to calm the pre-match jitters that prevented him from rising to the occasion.
World number three Alcaraz had too much weight of shot off both flanks for his opponent, who retrieved valiantly but lacked the weapons to topple the top seed.
"He has lost only four or five matches in the past year, so it's crazy. I know people say who's better out of us. They say Jannik is better or some say me. It's all discussion."
Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows in 2022. He's piled up three more since then, including this year's French Open and Wimbledon.
"I'm human, the nerves had accumulated and sometimes it is very tough to control when there is that tension. I will work so that it doesn't happen again."
Novak Djokovic described his Olympic gold medal triumph on Sunday as "probably" his "biggest sporting success" and revealed he may defend the title at the 2028 Los Angeles Games when he will be 41.
A fired-up Novak Djokovic on Friday reached his first Olympic Games final, where he will face Carlos Alcaraz in a dream gold medal showdown.
Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest man to reach the Olympic Games men's tennis final on Friday when he thrashed Felix Auger-Aliassime.
World number three Carlos Alcaraz edged closer to an Olympic Games showdown against Novak Djokovic on Thursday with a storming display which brought the queen of Spain to her feet.
Rafael Nadal admitted he may have played at Roland Garros for the final time after he and Carlos Alcaraz were dumped out of the Olympics men's doubles on Wednesday.
"I'm soaking wet, honestly," he said. "It's a very, very humid day as it was yesterday. I just hope it rains so it cools down the temperature a bit and the air," said Djokovic.
Carlos Alcaraz shrugged off an injury scare to reach the last 16 of the Olympic singles tennis on Monday and said he will fight to be "100 percent" for doubles with Rafael Nadal.
The 38-year-old effectively ruled himself out of the singles tournament as he battles a thigh injury picked up in training at Roland Garros, the scene of 14 of his 22 Grand Slam triumphs.
