New York, September 3: Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz has expressed concerns over the increasingly busy tennis calendar. He stated that it has become challenging for players to participate in every major tournament. Continuous play without breaks can lead to fatigue and a higher risk of injuries.
Alcaraz mentioned that he intends to take breaks from tennis as needed in the future. He emphasized that resting is just as crucial as playing for maintaining long-term performance and fitness. His comments came after he advanced to the third round of the ongoing US Open in New York.
In a match held at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Alcaraz made a comeback after losing the first set to defeat Portugal’s Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2. He acknowledged that a wrist injury had sidelined him for four months, a break he did not choose. However, he indicated that he plans to take time off the tour strategically moving forward.
Alcaraz believes the current tennis calendar is overly demanding. The relentless schedule increases both physical and mental pressure on players. To stay fit, avoid fatigue, and maintain performance levels, he hopes to incorporate regular breaks in the future.
After the match, the reigning US champion remarked, “To be honest, I took a longer break than necessary, but given how busy the calendar is, I certainly don’t want to take breaks due to injury. However, I will take some long breaks in the future. Perhaps not four months, but I might skip one or two tournaments because playing them all is impossible.”
The Spanish player stressed the need for athletes to make thoughtful decisions regarding their schedules, as the number of significant tournaments continues to rise. Alcaraz stated, “I feel like they are adding more important tournaments. In a way, they are forcing us to play. You can set your calendar, but there are certain Masters 1000 and Grand Slam events, and if we are to participate in all mandatory ATP tournaments, we would need to play for 40 weeks a year.”
He warned that managing the workload is becoming increasingly difficult and cautioned that without changes, the situation could worsen, leading to more injuries and fatigue among players. He added, “Therefore, it is impossible, and we are seeing many players getting injured and fatigued. If they don’t address this, we will witness even more incidents in the future.”
Faria won the first set 6-4, but his celebration was subdued. After struggling in the first set, Alcaraz saved a break point in his first service game of the second set and then won eight consecutive games. He saved his serve and dominated the rest of the match, winning the second set 6-0.
Alcaraz overwhelmed Faria with 43 winners compared to Faria’s 27, winning eight consecutive games and breaking the Portuguese player’s serve five times to take the third set 6-3. By winning the fourth set, he extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 16 matches and improved his US Open record to 26-3. His performance on break points was impressive, converting seven out of twelve opportunities, while Faria managed to convert only two out of seven.
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