Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter here, living the dream in Miami. Today, I’m super excited to dive into some fascinating tennis news that has been making waves around the globe. We’ve all been following the incredible journey of Carlos Alcaraz, the young and talented world no. 2, but his recent loss to Ugo Humbert in the Paris Masters has left many of us wondering what went wrong.
[](https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/Carlos_Alcaraz/149512/carlos-alcaraz-points-finger-i-do-not-understand-this-surface-/)
Carlos Alcaraz failed to reach the quarter-final of the Paris Masters for the second straight year. His loss to Ugo Humbert in the last 16 was a tough pill to swallow. The match ended with a score of 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 in favor of Humbert. This loss marks the end of Alcaraz’s Masters 1000 campaign this year, with only one title to his name.
The super-fast surface at the Paris Masters completely surprised Alcaraz, who admitted it was not his cup of tea. The surface speed was the fastest in the tournament’s history, and it seemed to throw him off his game. Despite praising his rival Ugo Humbert for his performance, Alcaraz couldn’t help but question the organizers’ decision to install such a fast surface.
Humbert made a flying start, dominating the opening set with two breaks. He served well and delivered a convincing 6-1 victory in just 26 minutes. The Frenchman held his ground with a service winner in the first game and landed a deep return in the next one for an early break and a 2-0 advantage. Alcaraz tried to fight back but couldn’t prevent Humbert from wrapping up the opener in style.
However, Alcaraz did manage to climb back in the second set, providing five comfortable holds and pushing on Humbert’s serve. He landed a forehand winner for a hold in the first game and reached a deuce on the return in the next one. The Spaniard clinched the third game with an ace and found his rhythm on the return for the first time in the next one. Despite earning three break points, Humbert denied them and landed a service winner after deuce to bring the game home and lock the result at 2-2.
Alcaraz held at 30 in the fifth game and made another push on the return in the next one. He earned a break chance with a forced error and converted it when Humbert played a loose forehand, opening a 4-2 gap and improving his chances. The Spaniard closed the seventh game with a service winner to cement the break and extend the gap. Humbert held at love at 2-5 before Alcaraz landed a lob winner in game nine for three set points. He needed only one after landing a backhand crosscourt winner, leveling the overall score after an hour and 13 minutes.
The final set saw both players serving well, remaining neck and neck at 5-5. However, Humbert survived deuces in games one and five and prepared the ultimate attack in the closing stages. Alcaraz served well at 4-5 and had to repeat that in game 12 to introduce a tie break. However, the Frenchman produced deep returns and generated two match points after a forehand error from the Spaniard. Ugo welcomed Carlos’ backhand mistake on the second, sealing the deal and earning his career-best win.
[](https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/Carlos_Alcaraz/149512/carlos-alcaraz-points-finger-i-do-not-understand-this-surface-/)
It was difficult for Alcaraz to play on this particular surface, as he admitted it was far from what he’s used to. He praised Humbert’s flat and aggressive strokes, which kept him out of rhythm and prevented him from bringing his best tennis. Despite his disappointment, Alcaraz gave full credit to Humbert, acknowledging that he deserved to win.
The surface speed in Paris surprised Alcaraz, and he should have arrived earlier to get accustomed to the conditions. The organizers’ decision to install such a fast surface has raised eyebrows, and it remains to be seen how future tournaments will handle this aspect.
If you want, you can check out the news where I found it [here](https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/Carlos_Alcaraz/149512/carlos-alcaraz-points-finger-i-do-not-understand-this-surface-/).
Yours truly,
Mia
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