Carlos Alcaraz's latest defeat at the Shanghai Masters is just a minor stumbling block to greatness, according to Serena Williams' ex-coach Rick Macci.
The 68-year-old is invariably outspoken and full of praise for the 20-year-old since his breakthrough season on the ATP Tour in 2022. Alcaraz has enjoyed another stellar season this year, adding a second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon by defeating Novak Djokovic in five sets.
But it hasn't all been rosy for the Spanish sensation who Macci thinks is a complete player. The veteran coach's track record at the top level speaks for itself, and his opinions on tennis do give a reader some valuable insight.
Alcaraz was a firm favorite to pass Novak Djokovic in the year-end race for the No. 1 ranking at this year's Asian swing. The Serbian was taking a leave of absence after winning his 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open. Alcaraz had the chance to bridge the 770-point lead in late September and potentially eclipse him in mid-October.
Defeats in the semifinal of the China Open and the round of 16 at the Shanghai Masters have poured cold water on those hopes. Many fans felt that Alcaraz was too focused on Djokovic to the detriment of his performances, most notably against Grigor Dimitrov where he lost the match from a winning position.
But Macci appears to disagree with the widespread criticism of Alcaraz as per his recent tweet on X. The veteran coach believes it is only natural that high expectations and scrutiny result in speed bumps that the best players can overcome on their path to being great players.
"With expectations and scrutiny, many speed bumps are on the road to Great Street. You have to Fail to Succeed. You have to Lose to Win. You have to get Mad to get Glad."
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