Carlos Alcaraz showed up at the 2024 US Open looking tired, prompting John McEnroe to suggest he take a break.
This summer was packed for Alcaraz with many matches and lots of success. Due to injuries during the clay season, he hadn’t played much tennis before summer started.
His season began intensely at Roland Garros, reaching the French Open final against Alexander Zverev after another tough five-set match against Jannik Sinner.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇪🇸 Carlos Alcaraz | 21 | 68,791 | 25 - 5 |
Understandably, this took a toll on him. At Queen’s Club, he lost early despite being the defending champion.
Alcaraz’s Rollercoaster Season:
He bounced back at Wimbledon, making it to the final against Novak Djokovic. Although not his hardest match, it was still emotionally draining.
Soon after, he had to focus on his first Olympics in Paris. Playing singles and doubles with Rafael Nadal added more pressure.
While his doubles run didn’t reach medal rounds, he made it to the singles final but lost to Djokovic again. This defeat hit hard.
Fans might think he’s pushing himself too much without enough rest.
At Cincinnati Open, his performance shocked everyone as one of his worst matches ever. In New York, former Top 25 player Botic van de Zandschulp defeated him in straight sets.
McEnroe advised Eurosport that Alcaraz should rest properly due to physical and emotional fatigue:
“For me, Alcaraz is like a Ferrari. He’s the best player I’ve seen at this age. He needs more breaks… He needs a long break now and to really choose the tournaments in which he wants to shine.”
“His failure here is not due to his game but because he was mentally drained.”
Despite this advice, Alcaraz continues playing Davis Cup this week and plans for Asia next—Shanghai Masters 1000 event followed by Paris Masters.
He’s also set for ATP Finals and an exhibition in Saudi Arabia soon after all these commitments.
What do you think? Should Alcaraz take a break?
