"Where do I go now" - Alcaraz talks feeling unsure after winning US Open
ATP
Carlos Alcaraz achieved his childhood dream by winning the US Open and he was unsure what to do after he did that.
The young Spaniard stunned the tennis world by beating everyone at Flushing Meadows in 2022. He lifted his maiden major title, and after that, he also became the youngest ever ATP World No. 1 player in history of the sport.
Now, only a few months after his triumph in New York, Alcaraz admitted that he struggled a bit with motivation after winning his first Grand Slam title. Struggling after winning the first major is nothing unusual, as many players experienced it.
Daniil Medvedev won one and he has yet to win another one. Dominic Thiem openly spoke about losing motivation following his win at the US Open and Alcaraz had some struggles as well, as he revealed in an interview with Vogue Magazine.
"I had a bad period after I won the US Open. That sounds like I’m making it up, but…well, I enjoyed that moment a lot. But the truth is, when I had to go back into competition, there was a point when I went: ‘Stress!’ You know?."
"I think what happened was, when I saw that I’d achieved what I’d dreamed of since I was a little kid, unconsciously that aspiration dimmed a bit."
The Spaniard experienced some disappointing results following the US Open, and injuries certainly didn't help him. It was tough to deal with because neither he nor his coach enjoyed that time at all. Alcaraz admitted that his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, saw that he lacked motivation.
"And that was hard. Because no one was enjoying it—I wasn’t, on the court; Juanki (Note – his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero) wasn’t, seeing me so shut down and lacking in spark. I thought, Where do I go now?"
