Carlos Alcaraz ‘snubs five tournaments’ as new plan for Australian Open emerges

Carlos Alcaraz has reportedly laid out his roadmap for 2024, with the Spaniard set to make his return at the Australian Open. He is set to spend some time away from the court at the end of this year, with December 8 highlighted as when he will begin his preseason training. Alcaraz is currently competing at the China Open in hope of closing the gap on Novak Djokovic in the world rankings. The 20-year-old opened his tournament with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Yannick Hanfmann in Beijing, and he is hopeful that the points he scores on the Asian swing will help him close in on the world No 1. The Wimbledon victor has made it no secret that he is not content with playing second fiddle to the Serb and is already putting together a plan for how 2024 so that he can prepare himself for an important year in his career. According to Marca, Alcaraz is ‘already thinking about next season’ and will only have a short vacation after the ATP Finals in Turin conclude on November 19. He will spend under three weeks away from the sport to rest and reset, before training will begin again on December 8. Alcaraz will then spend the following four weeks working at the Ferrero Tennis Academy with a small coaching team as he looks to ensure that he is in the best condition to kickstart 2024. His first competition of the year will then reportedly be the Australian Open, with the two-time Grand Slam winner looking to be more ‘precise’ when targeting tournaments. He will therefore not participate in competitions in Hong Kong, Brisbane, Adelaide, Auckland nor in the United Cup – with the five competitions not making the cut, as such. We’ll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story. For the latest news and breaking news visit:  express.co.uk/sport/football . Stay up to date with all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you. Follow us on Twitter @dexpress_sport – the official Daily Express &  Express.co.uk  Twitter account – providing real news in real time. We’re also on Facebook @dailyexpresssport – offering your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day to like, comment and share from the Daily Express, Sunday Express and  Express.co.uk .