Carlos Alcaraz Faces Mental and Physical Challenges on the Professional Tennis Circuit

Wrapped in a baggy blue tracksuit, Carlos Alcaraz speaks in the conference room of the Pala Alpitour hurt, although at 20 years old he maintains the same self-critical and constructive spirit that usually follows each of his defeats. He just lost against Alexander Zverev in his Masters Cup debut, in a performance that confirmed what was suspected before his debut: he is mentally exhausted. Emotionally saturated. “I haven’t…

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Wrapped in a baggy blue tracksuit, Carlos Alcaraz speaks in the conference room of the Pala Alpitour hurt, although at 20 years old he maintains the same self-critical and constructive spirit that usually follows each of his defeats. He just lost against Alexander Zverev in his Masters Cup debut, in a performance that confirmed what was suspected before his debut: he is mentally exhausted. Emotionally saturated. “I haven’t felt good at a tennis level, I have to improve,” he expressed in front of journalists after the 6-7 (3), 6-3 and 6-4 (in 2h 31) in favor of the German, two-time champion of the tournament. And he adds: “The year has been very long and very demanding. I have to improve to reach this point in the season in better condition, especially on a mental level. It’s probably tiredness [físico] and mental fatigue, from being subjected to quite a high demand for so long.”

The Murcian admits that at this point, the body and especially the head fail. They are resentful at a crucial moment, given that the defeat against Zverev exposes him to the precipice: or he beats Andrey Rublev tomorrow in the second match of the group stage – beaten by Daniil Medvedev (6-4 and 6-2) in the session nocturnal – or your first adventure in the master territory will be over. In his brief but very intense journey through the elite, Alcaraz faces a crisis scenario for the first time, taking into account his projection. Until now, he had never stumbled three times in a row on the ATP circuit nor had he experienced a similar sensation, that of moving through quicksand. He walks, but gets stuck. He wants to, but he can’t. He from El Palmar knows that he needs one last push, but his mind is weakening and his tennis has lost joy and neatness, that hedonistic seasoning that makes him different.

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In the absence of what may happen these days in Turin, the counter reflects that he has played 75 games this season, so he has already surpassed the 73 of the previous one. Alcaraz is no longer the young man who comes and excites, but today he is subjected to the rigors of the figures and the permanent scrutiny of the millions of eyes that follow and judge him, who demand that day after day, week after week and month after month I win. The margin of error disappeared. The erosion is physical and the chassis (plantar fascia, back and other areas) shows different ailments or discomforts, but above all, the tennis player is being a victim of a psychological fatigue that until now he was unaware of. Everything was new to him and, in some way, everything was profit. Now the bar is very high and he is required accordingly.

Alcaraz, in a defensive maneuver from the back of the court.GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE (REUTERS)

“If I ever want to win this tournament and finish the year as number one, I have to improve and reach this point in the year calm, well and wanting to win everything that is put in front of me. I think it’s a question of mental fatigue,” says the boy, who before facing the fall had seven extraordinary months in which he won six trophies, the first at Wimbledon and also at Indian Wells or Queen’s, venues of maximum prestige. He has been processing, therefore, an endless number of emotions that are added to the media volume that his figure has been gaining, one of the most sought-after in terms of marketing and one of the most admired by the new sports audiences, who identify with him for youth, carefreeness and that speech that openly expresses his desire to succeed. The popular wave (with its pros and cons) is gigantic.

Injuries and stress

Despite the fact that his personal and professional circle tries to protect him, impermeability is impossible and the dynamics of the circuit, exhausting, do not grant him respite no matter how much he has tried to manage his presence on the slopes and has decongested his calendar. Tennis forces you to play and play, and in the case of Alcaraz, today, to win and win. It is the toll that all the outliers went through. The injuries have not been kind either, adding extra stress due to the fear of falling into their nets again. He began the year with a jerk in his right leg that prevented him from competing in Australia and subsequently suffered several mishaps or threats that have forced him to remain alert.

“In the end I am 20 years old, although I already consider myself a player with some experience due to everything I have experienced. I still have a lot left, obviously, but I’m handling it better and better,” he refers to the requirement. “At least I am clear about what is happening to me and what I have to improve, and, from there, I will have to get to work,” continues the Spaniard, who had not lost three successive games since 2021, when at Defeats in Acapulco (Zverev) and Miami (Ruusuvuori) were preceded by another in a challenger in Gran Canaria (Trungelliti).

Alcaraz enters the Turin track. Clive Brunskill (Getty Images)

“At the end of the second [set] or the beginning of the third there was a moment in which I threw like three or four points off the first time. That can’t happen. In the end, each one has their own style, but yes, I look at Novak [Djokovic]; For example, he never gives you the first one, and neither do many other players. It’s something that I have to improve, that is on my mind every time it happens to me. I must try to improve consistency, because today I was lacking a lot”, he looks ugly after having committed 28 unforced errors, practically the same number as winning shots (29). Inaccurate in his shots and without the ability to dominate with the drive, nor overwhelm with that forehand that is probably the most powerful on the circuit, he now faces a coin toss to continue in the tournament.

“It is the only one in which a defeat does not eliminate you, so I have the opportunity to continue improving to try to pass the round robin [grupo]. Tomorrow I will train to improve the things I haven’t done well today, which are quite a few. And from there, we’ll see…”, says the world number two, who has fought with Djokovic for the throne until the last stretch of 2023, resignedly; “In the end this is the Masters, there are the eight best players and we are clear that each match could be the final of a Grand Slam, so we are going to try to do it as best as possible and try to play at our best level.”

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2023-11-14 04:15:00
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