Carlos Alcaraz is one of the favorites to win the 2024 US Open, but former ATP player John McEnroe thinks it's a 'big ask' of the Spaniard after some very emotional weeks.
Alcaraz is the type of player who is expected to challenge for the trophy at every event he plays. The Spaniard doesn't go to an event thinking he can't win it, so it's only natural for a player like that to be among the favorites everywhere he goes.
Even so, Alcaraz is not a mutant or invincible; he's only human. He won't win every event he plays and will lose some matches that people expect him to win. Just recently, at the Paris Olympics, Alcaraz lost a match very few thought he could lose.
He didn't think he could lose, as he talked about winning the gold medal even before the final match. He didn't win it, which was a hugely emotional letdown for the 21-year-old, who was spotted crying after the match.
The fallout of that was evident in Cincinnati, where he played a match he described as one of the worst matches of his career. It was apparent that the Olympic shadow was still over him.
Things looked much better in his opening round of the 2024 US Open, but Alcaraz still didn't play his best tennis. Perhaps he will show up with a couple more wins, but McEnroe isn't sure that he will be able to win the US Open.
He spoke with tennis365 in New York, first touching upon Alcaraz's Cincinnati Open loss and then also his chances at Flushing Meadows.
"When I saw him losing in Cincinnati and thought ‘yes, he’s human! Alcaraz is my favourite player to watch right now. He can do everything and he does it all so well."
"I think that defeat in Cincinnati was a combination of a lot of factors. Doing what he did in Paris, playing as amazing as he did at Wimbledon, getting to the gold medal match Olympics and playing an amazing match against Novak."
Alcaraz was certainly busy over the summer, and he never had time to process any of it. This can weigh heavily on an individual, especially with the amount of pressure he has to juggle daily. It certainly doesn't get easier this week with the season's final Grand Slam.
All of that makes McEnroe wonder if the World No. 3 player will be able to handle it. A bit of an extended break like the one Djokovic imposed on himself might have helped the Spaniard, but time will ultimately tell.
He's good enough to produce a signature run and win the trophy, but McEnroe does wonder how much is left in his tank.
"I’m sure he felt he needed a little bit more of a break after that. Novak didn’t play, he pulled out of Montreal and Cincinnati, but he is 37 and felt like he needed a break."
"Then for Carlos, there is a bit of pressure from the powers that be to play and I think, in retrospect, it would have been better if he hadn’t played at all."
"So I think that was a bit of a blip in Cincinnati, but I do think it’s going to be a big ask for him to win the US Open emotionally after everything that’s happened over the last few months. How much is in the tank? So that’s why I think it opens the door for someone other than the three guys that we think could win it."
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