Carlos Alcaraz Admits He Considering 'Stopping' After Hitting 'Rock Bottom' In Miami
NewsFriday, 18 April 2025 at 10:35
Carlos Alcaraz surprisingly admitted that he considered taking a break from the sport after hitting his "rock bottom" at the Miami Open.
Alcaraz is someone who is used to winning. He is a four-time Grand Slam champion at 21, and the list of his achievements is getting longer every day. He is just the guy who enters events to win them, not to take part.
That's why the start of this season was challenging for him. The Spaniard lost in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, and he then lost in the Indian Wells Open semi-finals, but the loss that followed was probably the worst of them all for him.
Alcaraz lost already in his first match in Miami when an inspired David Goffin managed to beat him. It was a shocking loss, especially because the youngster had enjoyed so much success in Miami before.
A couple of weeks later, Alcaraz held the Monte-Carlo Masters trophy in his hands, once again being on top of the world. Winning in Monte-Carlo was important for the 21-year-old, and he has now reflected on those few challenging months.
Speaking to the Spanish publication MARCA, Alcaraz admitted that it felt like his loss to Goffin in Miami was "the final straw." He said that he had to discuss with his team what was next after that.
"In Indian Wells, I thought I was playing well, and off the court, I was pretty calm. The loss to Draper hurt a lot. Then I got to Miami, and that loss to Goffin was the final straw. We had to stop, sit down, and see what was happening."
"That moment has helped me a lot. It's from bad times that we learn the most. I've learned, above all, to focus on what's important. There are many things we give importance to that perhaps aren't. I've said what's truly important to me in tennis, and I'm going to continue along those lines."
Alcaraz was then asked whether it felt like he hit the "rock bottom" in Miami. He admitted that it felt like that, especially when he had to face the press after his loss.
"More or less, yes, you could say that. It was hard for me to get into the press; I didn't even know what I was going to say. You could say that."
The 21-year-old was also asked whether he considered stopping for some time. He admitted that it was on the cards, but ultimately, a short vacation with family helped him to keep going.
"In the end, in those situations, you think about a lot of things, and when something that hurt you is so recent, you never really put it into perspective. A lot of thoughts come to mind: stop, stop for a week, skip a tournament, stop for several months, keep training, take a vacation, and then train for what's next..."
"A lot of thoughts came to mind, and one of the best things I did was take a few days off and give myself the opportunity to think clearly and put things into perspective, and then make a decision from there."
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