Serena Williams' former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, has joined those arguing that Carlos Alcaraz needs to be smarter with his schedule to avoid injuries and mental exhaustion.
2024 has been hectic for the World No. 3. After winning the French Open and Wimbledon, he did not get much time to rest because of the Olympics. Alcaraz missed out on a gold medal after losing to Novak Djokovic 7-6, 7-6.
That brutal defeat caused Alcaraz to cry in his post-match interview with Alex Corretja. Recovering from that setback and having a successful North American hardcourt season would always be challenging.
After losing his opening match in North America to Gael Monfils, Alcaraz suffered one of the biggest Grand Slam upsets ever in the US Open second round against Botic van de Zandschulp, falling to the Dutchman in straight sets.
The four-time Grand Slam champion looked mentally drained in that match. That led to some former players and analysts saying Aclaraz should take a break and lighten his schedule in the future.
John McEnroe suggested that Alcaraz take two months off after the US Open to fully recharge his batteries, fearing the young superstar could damage himself if he plays too much tennis.
However, Alcaraz did not take that advice and decided to represent Spain at the ongoing Davis Cup. He helped his country secure their first point after Tomas Machac retired against him in the third set, giving Spain an unassailable 2-0 lead against the Czech Republic.
Mouratoglou also worries about Alcaraz's future if he does not reign in his schedule. He said the monumental physical and emotional effort exerted to win the French Open and Wimbledon took its toll at the US Open.
"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."
The French coach expressed concern about how many times Alcaraz has cramped during his young career. Serena Williams' ex-coach could not recall a time when Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, or Djokovic had cramped.
"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 hopes Alcaraz and his team have learned for the future and plan a more suitable schedule that gives the two-time Wimbledon winner adequate time to rest, recover, and avoid burnout.
"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."
Observing Alcaraz's 2025 schedule will be fascinating. Although the 21-year-old is still at the start of his career, the frequency with which he reaches the final stages of tournaments means that managing his schedule carefully is important.
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