Carlos Alcaraz hits back at critics with five-word message

silenced his doubters at last week's Monte-Carlo Masters, lifting his 18th career title after a disappointing run. The world No. 2 had suffered an opening-round exit in his previous tournament in Miami, but he turned things around to emerge victorious on the clay.

The 21-year-old was coming into Monte-Carlo, admitting external pressure got to him. But Alcaraz has a new mentality, and he had the perfect five-word response to critics who had a lot to say whenever he lost a match, telling them that "talking is easy and free".

There's no rest for the wicked, as Alcaraz is already back in action at the Barcelona Open and will play his first match two days after his triumph in Monaco.

The world No. 2 is now full of confidence after winning his first tournament of the clay swing. But he's had to learn to ignore expectations after getting bogged down during the recent sunshine double.

With one of his main rivals, Jannik Sinner, serving a three-month suspension, Alcaraz said many people told him he should close the gap for the No. 1 ranking, .

He has since blocked out the noise and was asked about critics' demands ahead of his Barcelona Open campaign. "I guess it's winning every game 2-0, never losing," he laughed.

"I don't know, there's a lot of demands, although I recognise that there have been some results that for some people... even for myself, haven't been what they expected.

"We're four months into the year now, and I've learned a lot about giving importance to what's important. There are certain defeats that for many have felt like too little.

"But for me, there's no such thing as too little anymore, they're all learning experiences, so it's time to move forward. Talking is easy and free, especially when someone has certain expectations and doesn't meet them, that's all I can say."

Alcaraz never expected to clinch the trophy in Monte Carlo but he's now now keen to carry his momentum into Barcelona, where he is on a 10-match winning streak after lifting the title in 2022 and 2023. He was forced to pull out with an arm injury last year.

"I can say that I gained a lot of confidence in Monte Carlo, I didn't expect to win," he added.

"I just want to get into the rhythm, the matches, and the hours on clay. Winning the title gives you confidence for what's to come.

"I'm very happy to come here, with the Monte Carlo title, with confidence and feeling very good physically. I'm ready to compete, feel the love of my people, play in Barcelona, in Spain. It will be an incredible feeling."

The top seed in Barcelona will take on qualifier Ethan Quinn on Tuesday.