Carlos Alcaraz has been told what he must change after his early US Open exit.
Carlos Alcaraz has been told to rethink his schedule to avoid mental fatigue (Image: Getty)
Carlos Alcaraz has been told to look to Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who have never faced the same “emotional” problems as him.
The 21-year-old was stunned in the second round of the US Open after winning back-to-back Grand Slam titles at the French Open and Wimbledon.
And renowned tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou believes Alcaraz’s extra passion could be costing him.
“I wouldn’t think he would lose in three sets like this but for me, it’s half a surprise,” Serena Williams’ ex-coach said of Alcaraz’s shock loss to Botic van de Vandschulp. “Two Grand Slams in a row, now he can rest. No. The Olympic Games now. Plus all the other tournaments.”
While it’s been a successful year for the Spaniard, winning two Major titles in a single season for the first time, Mouratoglou says they left him exhausted. He continued: “But they meant so much for him.
“He put everything, mentally, emotionally, of course, physically and tennis-wise, on the table to win them, because it’s got counted so much. And when it counts so much for you, emotionally, it’s draining. He was exhausted, mentally exhausted.”
Alcaraz’s emotions have cost him in the past – he has cramped in some of the biggest matches of his career, most notably his 2023 French Open semi-final clash with Djokovic. And Mouratoglou noted that none of the Big Three had the same issue.
The Frenchman added: “He’s very, very emotional. We’ve seen him cramp many times already. If you look at Roger, Rafa, and Novak, have you seen them cramp once in a match? All their careers? He cramped many times already, only at 20. He’s an emotional player.”
Mouratoglou now wants to see Alcaraz manage his schedule better. It’s something the likes of Federer and Djokovic prioritised as they got older.
Patrick Mouratoglou believes Carlos Alcaraz is a very emotional player (Image: Getty)
“So I think that knowing that, in the future, they will have to think of a calendar where he has enough rest – mental rest, not physical rest. Mental rest. I think it is very important for his future,” he concluded.
Mouratoglou may not be happy with Alcaraz’s latest decision. The world No. 3 is already back in action, representing his nation at this week’s Davis Cup group stage. But, ahead of Spain’s first tie, Alcaraz said he had time to mentally reset – something the French tennis coach will be pleased to hear
“I wish I had been in New York, of course, but you have to find time to disconnect a little bit. I had two or three days that were good for me to calm down,” the four-time Grand Slam champion explained.