Sawt Falasteen - Alcaraz says no pressure to be 'good ambassador' for tennis

The world number one, who booked his place in the Australian Open third round with 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-2 arm-wrestle over German Yannick Hanfmann, has become one of the sport's most bankable stars.

But the 22-year-old said he felt no extra pressure to be a spokesman for the sport.

"Not really. I don't think about it, being a good ambassador for tennis," he said in Melbourne.

"But obviously at the same time, the way that I play, I said many times, sometimes it's just trying to entertain the people, trying to engage people to watch more tennis.

"But I'm not thinking that I have to be the best ambassador possible to tennis. Just stepping on the court, I'm doing what I love to do, just playing tennis.

"It's just about loving what you're doing and enjoying every single second you step on the court. I think that's it. That's all that's in my mind."

Alcaraz is bidding to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam of all four majors in Australia.

So far, the Melbourne Park hard courts have proved his nemesis, failing to go past the quarter-finals in his four trips to Australia.

He struggled early on against Hanfmann, a player 12 years older who has never won a career title, but ground him down to set up a clash next against France's Corentin Moutet.

"I knew he was going to play great. I mean, I know his level, I played him a few times already," he said of the German.

"To be honest, it was tougher than I thought at the beginning. I didn't feel the ball that good. You know, the ball was coming as a bomb, forehand and backhand," he added.

"Really, really happy that I got through a really difficult first set and then I started to feel a little bit better on the court."

E.Qaddoumi--SF-PST