Tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz has conceded that he finds solace in swinging the golf club to detach from tennis tensions. Since his Wimbledon triumph, his journey on the court has seen more valleys than peaks.
The young prodigy’s post-Wimbledon phase included a startling knockout from the U.S. Open’s second round and losing his cool at the Cincinnati Open along with a loss to Novak Djokovic in his quest for Olympic gold.
However, Alcaraz has acknowledged the therapeutic effect golf has on his performance. During an engagement at the New York grand slam, he reflected on a pre-tournament golf session with Casper Ruud, a past adversary on the tennis court.
After claiming victory over Li Tu of Australia in the U.S. Open’s opening match, Alcaraz revealed details about his leisurely golf day with Ruud, elaborating on how the sport offers them respite from the relentless ATP tour presence.
Elaborating on the golf outing, he shared: “With Casper (Ruud), we’ve talked a lot about playing one day and here we finally made it happen. We talked a lot about how good golf is for us, for our minds, just to disconnect and turn off our heads. That helps us be better on court, in tournaments.”
The two-time Wimbledon victor shared that hitting the links is the “perfect” way to unwind after a tough match. “When I’m playing golf, I’m not thinking about my next match or my training schedule,” he revealed. “I’m just enjoying the game, the fresh air, and the challenge of trying to improve my swing. It’s a perfect way to recharge mentally and physically.
“We can’t think about tennis 24 hours a day, seven days a week… you need to live your life too, be able to do other things. You need to think about other things to then perform at 100 percent better on the court and feel better.”
Alcaraz’s recent slump has shocked fans and experts alike. The ex-champion’s exit from the tournament was a shocker as Botic van de Zandschulp ousted him in a stunning 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 upset.
Post-match, Alcaraz didn’t mince words about his performance, admitting it felt like “a step backwards”. He confessed: “The truth is that what I feel right now is that instead of taking steps forward I have taken steps backwards in terms of my mind, and I don’t understand why.”