Carlos Alcaraz
expressed his frustration with the demanding
tennis
schedule on Saturday, asserting that the current arrangement is "going to kill us."
The young Spanish prodigy, who has already secured victories at the French Open and Wimbledon this year, is presently participating in the Laver Cup, marking his 14th tournament of the season.
Prior to his arrival in Berlin, the 21-year-old had already competed in 50 singles matches in 2024, clinching three titles and earning a silver medal at the Paris Olympics.
Alcaraz's comments highlight the physical and mental toll that the relentless
tennis calendar
can take on players.
"Probably they are going to kill us in some way," Alcaraz said Saturday after defeating Ben Shelton in straight sets at the Laver Cup.
Alcaraz, who views the calendar as "so tight", is concerend about the list of injured players, while adding that opinions on the subject can vary from player to player.
"Right now a lot of good players are going to miss a lot of tournaments because of that (injuries due to overburn)," said Alcaraz.
The Spaniad added that it can also lead to lack of motivation.
"Sometimes, you don't want to go to a tournament. I'm not going to lie -- I have felt this way a few times already. Sometimes I don't feel motivated at all. But as I've said many, many times, I play my best tennis when I smile and enjoy it on court. That's the best option to keep motivating (myself)."
Alcaraz experienced a surprising defeat in the second round of US Open this year. His conqueror was the 74th-ranked player, Botic van de Zandschulp.
Following the loss, Alcaraz conceded that he had made a mistake by not allowing himself a more extended break between his participation in the Olympics and the US Open.
At the Olympic Games in Paris, Alcaraz faced Novak Djokovic in a grueling battle for the gold medal, which he ultimately lost. This match took place mere weeks after Alcaraz had convincingly defeated Djokovic at Wimbledon, where he successfully defended his title.
"I took a little break after the Olympic Games. I thought it was enough. Probably it wasn't enough. Probably I came here without as much energy as I thought I was going to (have)," he said after his US Open horror show.
"I have to think about it and I have to learn about it."
Second-ranked Alexander Zverev couldn't agree more with his Team Europe teammate at the Laver Cup.
"The
ATP
doesn't care about our opinion -- it's a money business," said the German. "It's the longest season in sports. It's unnecessarily long. We have an unnecessary amount of tournaments."
"We're not allowed to boycott, we get fined if we don't play tournaments" said Zverev. "The tour goes on without you. We need to do something about it. It's not an easy solution, but a solution which needs to be made."
Alcaraz and Zverev have a packed schedule ahead, with their seasons extending until the Davis Cup Finals in Spain, which will be held in late November.
The upcoming 2025 season is set to kick off on December 27, with the United Cup tournament taking place in Australia.
English (US) ·