Alcaraz Fighting 'Enormous Pressure' Because Of Crazy Expectations Says Former No. 1
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Carlos Alcaraz might be one of the most exciting tennis players that have emerged in recent years, but that also comes with plenty of downsides.
Since Alcaraz emerged, he has dominated the headlines around the world. For the first time since the start of the Big Three era, which was almost two decades ago, there was a new, exciting player who looked like a future Hall-of-Famer.
The young Spaniard managed to back every single bit of the hype that he received, winning four major titles and becoming the youngest man to reach the World No. 1 rank.
But in recent months, the 21-year-old's genius on the court has turned into a worried man, who struggles to battle nerves and surprisingly loses matches that fans expect him to win.
Alcaraz lost to Jiri Lehecka in Doha, he lost to David Goffin in Miami, and he was also the favorite to beat Jack Draper in the semi-finals of the Indian Wells Open, and lost that match. On top of that, the young Spaniard even lost to an injured Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open.
Alcaraz's struggles could be best described by pointing to the fact that even in March, Jannik Sinner is still the player with the most points earned this year. The Italian played only one tournament, in which he amassed 2,000 points. Alcaraz, on the other hand, collected 1,410 points in five events, which is enough only for the No. 4 position in the 2025 ATP Race.
Former WTA World No. 1 player, Justine Henin, who is a seven-time Grand Slam champion, recently spoke about Alcaraz on Eurosport France. She called his current struggles "phases of reflection."
"We can see that he’s going through phases of reflection. He’s a 21-year-old player who has won four Grand Slams but still has so much to learn to get through more difficult times."
As a successful player herself, Henin knows that a tennis career is rarely a straight line. There are ups and downs, and Alcaraz is currently experiencing the more challenging period.
The 42-year-old Belgian also explained that the reason why Alcaraz's recent results have been seen as unsatisfactory is because of the expectations that he has to face.
"Since he arrived on the tour, what have people been saying about Carlos Alcaraz? 'It’s extraordinary what he offers us in terms of tennis, it’s completely crazy, we love watching him play, he’s the player we most like to see evolve.'"
"And he knows all of this, he hears it because we hear everything anyway, they can no longer be protected from that, and it puts enormous pressure on his shoulders."
Henin also mentioned another emerging star, Joao Fonseca. She is scared to see all the hype surrounding the 18-year-old Brazilian, especially after seeing Alcaraz struggle.
"For me, Fonseca, who arrives, and when I see the excitement around this boy, it scares me a little."
