Tennis crowds can get loud, but Vienna has another ingredient in the mix — music that keeps the energy high even during matches. Carlos Alcaraz has no problem admitting that the volume can be a bit much for a player who needs to shut out distractions, especially when the balls are already proving difficult to play with. Yet the Spaniard also sees the other side of the experience, and his return to the Erste Bank Open has given him plenty to appreciate about the atmosphere.
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“I’d say it’s a little too loud, I’m not going to lie. But once you get used to it you focus on your own thoughts and it doesn’t matter what happens outside. After all it’s also about giving the fans something to enjoy,” Alcaraz said when asked about the music played during matches.
So even if the music takes a little adjustment, the crowd has already won him over.
“It was amazing. It was amazing, to be honest. I didn’t really know why I loved the time that I played here in 2021. I left the court, left this tournament, thinking ‘This crowd has something special.’ I experienced that today. First round, as you can see, packed stadium. It was incredible, I really enjoyed it,” he said.
Regarding the balls, though, Alcaraz was much more blunt. “To be honest, they get extremely fuzzy,” the Spaniard complained after his opening victory. The felt on the balls became rougher as the match progressed. For someone like Alcaraz, who often relies on pace and aggressive groundstrokes, this was bound to become bothersome.
“Sometimes it’s really difficult to apply pressure with them,” the 23-year-old explained. Still, he had no real complaints about Vienna’s surface itself: “But I would say it’s a good surface, and I liked it.”
Alcaraz returned to Vienna for the first time since 2021 and found the same special connection he remembered from his first appearance. Back then, he was an 18-year-old prospect who reached the semifinals before Alexander Zverev ended his run. Five years later, he is back as a seven-time major champion, and the packed stadium gave him a warm welcome.
His first-round match against Karen Khachanov delivered plenty for the crowd, too. Alcaraz won 6-4, 7-6(5) in a contest that demanded patience and nerve. He had chances to finish the match earlier but missed opportunities before recovering to win the second-set tiebreak. The victory extended his head-to-head record against Khachanov to 7-0.
“I think we both played great shots, great points. I would say it was a fun match to watch, so really happy about it,” Alcaraz added.
That said, Alcaraz is far from the only one to have taken issue with music being played. Alexander Zverev was seen ranting to the chair umpire at the 2023 Cincinnati Open after loud music from other courts ended up distracting him.
“There’s literally music coming on break point when I was serving and on break point when he was serving. And the thing is, the distance of the music is exactly the same from that corner as from that corner,” he said back then.
Carlos Alcaraz admits he still needs time to regain his confidence
The Vienna appearance is also part of a bigger effort to find his best tennis before the season ends. Alcaraz missed several months of competition because of a wrist injury and has been working to rebuild his rhythm since returning. He reached the US Open quarterfinals, won the Japan Open in Tokyo, and then suffered a disappointing loss to Zizou Bergs in Shanghai.
Before his Vienna campaign, Alcaraz explained that match practice remains essential to his progress. As reported by Tennis365, he said he needed more competition and match rhythm to return to his best level. He was pleased with his current tennis, but admitted he was not quite where he wanted to be yet. Now, his latest comments offer another look at that gradual process.
“I’m on the right track and taking the right steps. I’m still lacking some of the confidence I had at the beginning of the year, but I’m getting closer step by step,” Alcaraz said at his press conference.
That makes the Austrian tournament important beyond the result of a single match. Alcaraz is looking for consistency, competitive rhythm, and the confidence to trust his tennis in the biggest moments. His win over Khachanov was a positive start, and the atmosphere in Vienna has given him another reason to enjoy being back on court.