Dusan Lajovic charged by Carlos Alcaraz clash in Rome

Rome

Lajovic charged by Alcaraz clash: 'I hope to get back to where I was'

Serbian details recent form and injury struggles

Peter Staples/ATP Tour Dusan Lajovic reached a career-high No. 23 in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2019. By Jerome Coombe

It wasn’t so long ago that Dusan Lajovic couldn’t trust his own footing. Now, after months of rebuilding his momentum, he may just be catching Carlos Alcaraz at the perfect moment.

An ankle injury disrupted the end of the Serbian’s 2024 season and left him struggling for rhythm in the early months of this year. Yet Lajovic has since battled his way through qualifying at all three clay-court ATP Masters 1000 events and now finds himself preparing for a meeting with World No. 3 Alcaraz at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome on Friday.

“The last couple of weeks have been good,” Lajovic told ATPTour.com ahead of his second-round clash. “I’ve found my rhythm and I’m finally playing tennis that looks like myself. I’m happy to have three wins under my belt here, and to face Carlos is always an enjoyable moment, so I hope to have another good match on Friday.”

A two-time tour-level champion, finalist in Monte-Carlo in 2019 and former World No. 23, Lajovic is no stranger to the big stage. Even if his form has dipped — now at No. 131 in the PIF ATP Rankings — the 34-year-old has a clear understanding of how the game has changed.

Lajovic’s newfound adaptability may prove pivotal in his quest to notch a memorable upset over Alcaraz.

“Tennis is constantly evolving,” said Lajovic. “I feel like today the younger generation plays a little bit differently, and I’ve had to adjust my game in the past few years. Now, the guys are much stronger, they have much more powerful shots from any position. It’s much more of a power play than finding the right tactics and playing cat and mouse.

“But this is tennis today, and I’ve had to adjust a little bit, and I feel like in the last two years, I’ve been able to keep up with them. Right now, I need as many matches as I can, and also matches at a higher level. When I say that, I mean winning matches at Masters, Grand Slams… If I’m doing well in big events like this, that’s going to keep me motivated to keep going.”

Although Lajovic has failed to win a set in each of his four Lexus ATP Head2Head encounters with Alcaraz, he is aware that he can test the Spaniard on clay. They played twice on the surface in 2023, in consecutive quarter-finals in Buenos Aires and Rio, with the latter proving noteworthy for Lajovic.

“I remember them vividly, especially the second one,” said Lajovic, who led a break in each set of his 4-6, 6-7(0) defeat to Alcaraz in Rio. “I had a set point. It was an easy shot, close to the net, but he’s got quick hands and he was able to beat me in the tie-break. It was a good match, but let’s see where I am from that season. We are both different players from then.”

Regardless of the outcome on Friday, Lajovic will relish the spotlight and sees it as a good opportunity for him while he continues his efforts of progressing back to the top of the game.

“Any time facing him or any of the top [players], especially at my age now, they are matches where I can go out on the court and enjoy,” said Lajovic. “I’ll give my best and see where I’m at. Especially now, because I haven’t played any of the top guys in a while, so it’s a test to see what the real deal is, and what my situation is.

“I’ve had some issues. I twisted my ankle at the end of the last season, and that dragged that into this year… I’ve been struggling a little bit with just finding my game and finding my balance on the foot. Now, with the European swing, I was finally able to turn that around and get back to where I want to play. It’s been perfect, qualifying for three Masters, playing good matches, even when losing in the first round.

“Now, getting to play Carlos in the second round is good preparation for the French Open. I’m hoping I can get back to where I was and have a few more seasons on a good streak.”

Click here to read article