Mumbai: Although often seen smiling and performing brilliantly on the tennis court, Carlos Alcaraz historically encounters challenges during this part of the season. This period has sometimes seen him express frustration through tears after losing key finals or by uncharacteristically smashing his racquet.
In recent years, Alcaraz has experienced a noticeable dip in performance during the latter part of the season, after starting with a series of impressive tournament wins. Currently, he is on a winning spree, having secured four out of the last five tournaments, including a recent victory at the Cincinnati Masters. The big question now is whether the five-time Grand Slam champion can maintain his momentum as the season progresses, starting with the US Open, where he first triumphed in 2022.
Since that victory, Alcaraz has faced challenges at the US Open, exiting in the semi-finals in 2023 and losing in the second round in 2024, reflecting a trend of declining performance in the final third of the season after starting strongly.
In 2022, Alcaraz’s talent was evident as he won four titles leading up to Wimbledon but secured only one more title for the rest of the season, the prestigious US Open. His record that season was an impressive 57-13, but his performance before and after Wimbledon was markedly different, going from 35-5 pre-Wimbledon to 22-8 post-Wimbledon.
Alcaraz’s challenge has persisted, as evidenced by his 65-12 record in 2023, with all six titles won in the early part of the season. Similarly, in 2024, out of his total record of 54-13, only one title came in the last three months of the season.
Acknowledging his dip in form as a result of mental fatigue, Alcaraz, now 22, understands the importance of maintaining performance throughout the entire season, echoing his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero’s advice that the season stretches from January to November.
“That’s absolutely true,” Alcaraz admitted. “I struggled to manage the final part of the season.”
Alcaraz cited mental fatigue as a major challenge during the 2024 ATP Finals, especially after experiencing the highs of winning the French Open and retaining his Wimbledon title, yet falling short in the Paris Olympics final. He felt drained entering the US Open, leading to an early exit in the second round, marking his earliest Grand Slam exit since 2021.
After being eliminated in the group stages of last year’s ATP Finals, Alcaraz noted how difficult it is to maintain freshness late in the season but emphasized the need to play his best despite mental exhaustion.
Like the greatest players of the Big Three era, Alcaraz aims to emulate their consistent performance throughout the seasons, much like his rival Jannik Sinner, who finished the previous year by winning five of his six tournaments, including major events like the US Open.
“One of my goals is to finish the year feeling refreshed,” stated Alcaraz at the 2024 ATP Finals. “I’ve improved since last year, but there’s still room for growth.”
This year appears promising for Alcaraz. He demonstrated tremendous resilience and determination by winning his first Cincinnati Masters title against an unwell Jannik Sinner in the final, contrasting the last two years of adversity.
Diverting from previous years’ approach, Alcaraz comes into the US Open this time having only participated in one tournament post-Wimbledon, unlike playing in Toronto in 2023 and competing in the Olympics in 2024.
His recent matches in Cincinnati also proved less taxing, with semi-final opponent Alexander Zverev physically challenged and Sinner not at full capacity in the final, conserving Alcaraz’s energy.
“I’m feeling great and brim with confidence right now,” Alcaraz remarked, looking forward to the upcoming US Open. “Last year’s performance was disappointing, and I’m keen to showcase my best game this year.”